MBC News file photo
Eight years after suffering a catastrophic head injury in a motorcycle crash, Bonnie Fintas of Brantford reunited with the Norfolk County paramedics she calls her angels, sharing a story of survival and gratitude for the first responders and medical teams who helped save her life.
Fintas was a passenger on a motorcycle on June 15, 2018, when a car rear-ended the bike, throwing her onto the pavement and causing a severe brain injury. She lost the ability to walk and talk and, perhaps most frightening of all, had no memory of the crash itself. Although she was released from the hospital on October 5, 2018, her recovery journey was only beginning.
Today, Fintas is walking, talking and driving again, but not a motorcycle. She says determination and hard work were the keys to her recovery and encourages others facing rehabilitation to focus on their goals, never give up and surround themselves with a supportive rehab team. She credits Norfolk County paramedics, the OPP, and staff at Norfolk General Hospital and Hamilton General Hospital with helping her survive and rebuild her life.
Family, friends, caregivers and the people Fintas calls her angels gathered Monday in the Service Canada parking lot on Queensway East, just metres from where the crash occurred. She shared hugs, stories and gifts of angel keepsakes with each paramedic in attendance. Norfolk County Paramedic Services Superintendent Carrie Maxin, who responded to the collision that day, was among those reunited with Fintas.
Maxin said seeing Fintas return eight years later is something that has never happened in her 17-year career.
Fintas closed the gathering releasing 8 pink balloons and a simple, but powerful message: “I survived my accident,” while thanking the angels who continue to support her journey.
Written by Jeremy Hall
