Toms new lease on Life

In the summer of 2012, I was working as an outdoor adventure guide in Nova Scotia and had a life-changing workplace accident. On July 14th, I was cutting the lawn at the inn I was currently working with when the edge of the cliff gave out. I fell with the lawnmower about 15 feet onto big rocks on the shore of the ocean. The lawnmower hit me in in the chest and bounced off,rolling half way into the ocean. The combined impact of the mower ad falling broke several of my ribs and broke my back. I knew immediately that something was wrong and couldnt move my legs. After a lot of yelling for help, I was found, taken to the hospital and then airlifted to Halifax for surgery. I woke up the next day to be told that I had a burst fracture of my L1 vertebrae and an incomplete spinal cord injury. I spent 3 weeks in the hospital in Halifax before being flown back to Toronto where I was a patient in Lyndhurst spinal rehabilitation centre for about 4 months. Once I left Lyndhurst, I moved into my current home in Waterloo.

I have been going to physiotherapy in Waterloo 3-5 times a week since early 2013 to try to help regain and strengthen my leg muscles ever since. In the spring of 2014, I got my service dog wish from the Lions foundation in Oakville. Wish helps me everyday, primarily with picking up items that I've dropped and opening doors with buttons. She is also always around for companionship and is currently laying against my left leg.

I have had a very dramatic change in my lifestyle have taken a lot of time to adjust to it. In a lot of ways, I still really haven't. On my fight to try to recover I am struggling to find pieces of my old life that I can regain so that I can find my way back to health and happiness. 

Blacksmithing is something I have been interested in all my life. I first tried it when i was about 8 years old at my mothers friends farm. I made a hook that would hang off the back of a door. In college, I took a introductory weekend blacksmith course through my friend Josh. I learned a lot from him and loved taking the class. I didn't get to do anything more with blacksmithing from then on as I was travelling and working as a raft guide or just travelling for pleasure. While there alot of things from my old life that would be very difficult to do, blacksmithing is something that I would very much enjoy doing. I am reaching out for help to build a shop I can work in. This will help me build my physical strength and endurance, promote mental wellness and give me back some control and purpose in my life.

To accomplish my goal I need to build a ramp and complete shop in my back yard. I am looking for donations of cash, building materials and tools. 

Thank you for helping achieve my new lease on life!

Sincerly,
Thomas Weatherston & Wish!