John Simpson, a diesel mechanic, was involved in a serious crash two summers ago that left him in a coma for seven days. He suffered broken ribs and injuries to the left side of his chest, arm and hand.
Doctors estimated a long recovery period in hospital, but Simpson beat the odds and walked out 17 days later.
With the pandemic and people forced to stay at home, Simpson picked up a new hobby—wood carving.
He decided to carve a three-foot heart which now graces the entrance of the Cardiac Clinic at the Ouellette Campus. He has named the sculpture ‘Life’ because ‘it all comes down to your heart.’
“I know everyone at WRH is working hard with COVID-19 so I figured I’d do something nice. I just wanted to give back. They did a lot of work on me and I felt it was the right thing to do.”
It took Simpson more than 40 hours using a chainsaw, a four-inch grinder and a lot of sanding to create the masterpiece out of ash wood—the same material used in baseball bats. He is pleased with the end product and hopes when people see it, they feel grateful to the staff at Windsor Regional Hospital.