Gary moves back to Barrie

It's one small step closer to home for Gary.

With Gayle at his side, Gary made the move back to Barrie's Royal Victoria Hospital yesterday after a 12-week stint on a respiratory program at Toronto East General Hospital. The staff in Barrie missed him dearly since he left for Toronto in January, and have been following along with his progress all this time. 

When he came back, they took great efforts to make sure his return to Barrie was memorable. Gary was over the moon when he saw what awaited him:

Gary's still not completely off the ventilator yet. He has, however, been able to breathe on his own for up to six hours - a full quarter of a day - without the machine. As seen below, the eating test he recently passed allowed him enjoy a hearty meal that included chocolate milk, beef brisket and chocolate cake.

The move to Barrie brings him much closer to his friends in Muskoka, and to Gayle and the Muskoka Chautauqua staff. Everyone at Muskoka Chautauqua is hopeful his next stop will be right back here in Muskoka, where he belongs. 

One step closer to home

Gary's preparing for his next big move, which will bring him one hour closer to home.

The timing of the move has yet to be determined, but staff at the Toronto East General Hospital are already getting ready to move Gary back to Royal Victoria Hospital in Barrie. In the 12 weeks he's been in a respiratory program down in Toronto, Gary's show remarkable improvement, doing up to six hours at a time off the breathing apparatus. His recovery is now slated to continue in Barrie.

In the past few days, things continued to look good for Gary as he passed yet another swallowing test, and was healthy enough to take more trips outside to take in the warm spring weather. We're told that the hospital staff at Barrie, who have been following his progress steadily even after he initially left, are excited to see him return.

Stay tuned as we follow the next step of Gary's journey back home to Muskoka.

A sunny afternoon outside

The snow continues to melt... and Gary continues to get stronger. We're hoping there will more trips outdoors like this one in the days to come. 

Basking in the sunlight with a special birthday celebration

Basking in the sun and celebrating a very important birthday, this past week was full of big milestones for Gary.

On Friday, Gary celebrated Gayle's birthday down in Toronto, joined by family and some new friends at the Toronto East General Hospital. The warmth inside the hospital soon spread outdoors, with hospital staff taking Gary outside to bask in the warm spring weather. It was the first time Gary has been able to take in fresh air since he was moved from Barrie in December.

Meanwhile, staff at the hospital are continuing to work hard at getting Gary off the ventilator for good. Gary is nearing the end of the respiratory therapy program there, though where he goes next has yet to be definitively decided. Since arriving in Toronto, he's made great progress in recovery, and has worked up enough strength to breathe without a ventilator for beyond five hours.

Back in Muskoka, hardly a day goes by when staff at Muskoka Chautauqua don't get a call from Gary's friends and associates, all seeking to extend their kind wishes for his recovery. Despite being gone for almost a year, his hand and presence continues to be felt up north. Gary continues to review important documents for Muskoka Chautauqua, and continues to provide key guidance for staff and standing committees with Gayle at his bedside.

Gary also got a pleasant visit from Linda Albright, executive director of the Arts Network for Children and Youth. Gayle, Linda and Gary got a bit of work done during the visit - holding a conference call with the ArtsSmarts - an organization devoted to bringing arts education into classrooms.