What started as a routine U15 hockey game quickly turned into every parent’s nightmare for Jennifer Thorpe when her 14-year-old son, Tyler, suffered a life-threatening wrist injury on the ice last March.
Late in the third period, as the Elgin Middlesex Canucks battled to tie the game, Tyler skated past a fallen player whose lifted skate struck his wrist – severing an artery and tendon, which also caused damage to the nerve.
“I just knew something was wrong,” recalls Thorpe. “The look on the coach’s faces was pure fear. What if the doctor hadn’t been there?”
That doctor was Dr. James Menlove, an Emergency Medicine Physician from St. Thomas Elgin General Hospital and trainer for the opposing team.
Recognizing the severity of the bleed, Dr. Menlove quickly controlled it on-site until Tyler could be transported to hospital for emergency care.
Tyler later underwent two surgeries at Children’s Hospital at London Health Sciences Centre’s (LHSC), to repair his injuries and is now recovering well.
Although he missed the playoffs, he remained by his team’s side, cheering them on from the bench.
Life-threatening bleeding can be fatal within four to five minutes if not controlled. That’s why LHSC’s Trauma Program offers Stop the Bleed – a free community training program that teaches the public how to manage severe bleeding before paramedics arrive.
“One of the most common causes of death after major trauma is bleeding,” says Dr. Kelly Vogt, LHSC’s Trauma Medical Director. “Rapid control of bleeding can take a situation where someone is almost certain to die and change it to one where they have a very good chance to survive.”
Since Tyler’s injury, his hockey team’s coaches and trainers have completed Stop the Bleed training and LHSC hopes more sports teams will follow.
“Hockey teams are a key group we’d love to train more of, as skate blades can cause life-threatening injuries,” says Rai Di Loreto, Injury Prevention Specialist, Trauma Program at LHSC.
“This training equips coaches, trainers, and even parents with the skills to stop life-threatening bleeding until emergency help arrives.”
For Thorpe, the frightening experience sparked a new passion for bleeding control awareness and for promoting protective gear such as wrist and neck guards in hockey.
“I never thought this would happen to my son,” says Thorpe. “My hope is that by sharing our story, more organizations take the initiative to become trained in bleeding control in order to prevent a potential tragedy.”
Groups, businesses or organizations interested in taking part in Stop the Bleed can visit our website for booking details and more information.