Decorated Special Olympian injured in serious e-bike accident
MINDEMOYA—Dayne Tipper received a heartfelt welcome home when he arrived back in Mindemoya on the Thanksgiving weekend. A large group of people were on hand to welcome him home, thanks to organizer Karlene Scott and Dayne’s many friends and family
“It was so nice to be able to bring Dayne home for Thanksgiving,” stated his mother, Katherine. “He has received amazing support from Manitoulin Island people. Karlene Scott did so much to organize a welcome for him when we got home on Friday evening (October 10). The house was decorated, there were balloons, ‘welcome home’ signs and Karlene had organized a crew of people to be there with noise makers and cheering when we arrived home.”
“Park along the roadside and we will gather on the lawn and driveway,” Ms. Scott encouraged Dayne’s friends in a social media post prior to the event. “Bring your noise makers and signs to ‘Welcome Dayne Home!’ Thanks for helping to lift his spirits! It’s been a long road of healing for him.”
“It was pretty spectacular,” stated Ms. Tipper. “Dayne was shocked to see all of this. As we got near the house there were fire truck lights and cars pulling over as we came in. At first, he thought there might be something bad happening to our house, but once he realized everything was okay and he was being welcomed he got very excited.”
“It was the first time Dayne has been home since he went in rehab,” said Ms. Tipper.
On August 31, Dayne was involved in a serious biking accident which left him with a brain injury. He suffered deficits to the right side of his body and at first was unable to even sit up on his own.
Alexa Tipper explained that Dayne was coming back home after cutting wood with their father Sean at a neighbour’s property down the road. Dayne went over on the side of a ditch on his electric tricycle bike when the back wheel went over. He was riding at a speed of about 20-25 kilometres per hour.
“Dayne was dinged up pretty bad,” said Alexa. She explained at the time, “he does have a small brain bleed but is in stable condition. He can move around by himself but can only move his right arm with a lift. The doctors are not sure at this point what his future needs are going to be. He will be going to the RI unit, but at this time we don’t know what his future needs are going to be, like needing a wheelchair for the rest of his life. We are just hoping for the best and preparing for the worst.”
“Dayne is doing well, he is progressing well,” said his mother, last week. “The hospital (Health Sciences North) may be discharging him on Friday, and he might be able to be on an outpatient basis. Dayne is still using a walker but through rehabilitation he is building up his stamina to walk.”
Dayne has been in the intensive rehab unit of HSN, he is in the seventh week of rehab, said his mother. “We didn’t know how he would progress, but he is a fighter and has a very good attitude; the nurses and doctors at HSN love him. But he misses his friends, family and work.”
“Dayne is working hard, he wants to be able to get out and get walking again without a walker,” said Ms. Tipper. “The coaching he has received through Manitoulin Special Olympics (MSO) has probably helped.”
“Everyone at the hospital loves him, and his speech therapist said when he is around, she can hear him down the hall and knows it is him because there is a lot of laughter between him and the nurses,” said Ms. Tipper.
“Dayne has also had a lot of visitors in the hospital, which has been helpful,” said Ms. Tipper. “It was so nice that he was able to be home for Thanksgiving, all he wanted to do was rest and have some good home cooked meals. When he leaves HSN he is going to miss all the nurses.”
Family friend Leslie Taylor had initiated a GoFundMe page to raise funds for the family to help cover the many expenses the family is incurring with food, motel stays, gas and the medical equipment Dayne will need when he gets home.
On September 11 a Zumba dancing class fundraiser took place at the Freshwater Community Church in Mindemoya, with Kelly Robinson as the instructor. Fundraisers have or are going to be held by Finn McComb’s in Sudbury, and Angie and James Moggy of Mindemoya.
“Dayne has received wonderful support from so many people,” said Katherine. “He is obviously loved by a lot of people.”
Dayne is now home permanently, although he will continue rehab two to three times a week in Sudbury.
