In October, 2020, Moosomin high school student Levi Jamieson was in an ATV accident and was rushed to Regina General Hospital by STARS air ambulance before being flown to Royal University Hospital Pediatric Intensive Care Unit in Saskatoon.
As a result of the accident, Jamieson lost the use of his legs and is adjusting to a wheelchair. While in the hospital recovering, and upon his return home to Moosomin, the community has rallied around the family to show their support.
There have been numerous fundraisers for the family, a Love 4 Levi account opened at Conexus Credit Union for donations, and people all around offering a hand to the family when they need one. Tens of thousands of dollars have been raised for Levi and his family through the community support.
Levi鈥攚ho has been actively involved in 4H and his family farm since childhood, and who has his own herd of cattle now鈥攈asn鈥檛 let anything slow him down since coming home. He has returned to school, is back out helping on the farm, and having fun doing the things he loves like hunting, skidooing, and driving a team of horses. He has even tried his hand at sledge hockey.
It has been a long journey for the Jamieson family since the accident, however, things are starting to improve thanks to Levi鈥檚 resilience in physiotherapy. The Jamieson family has been going to Regina every week, since Levi returned home, for his physiotherapy, but as he progresses, they鈥檒l be able to do more of it in town.
鈥淲e go to Regina every week,鈥� says Levi鈥檚 dad, Darcy Jamieson. 鈥淪ometimes it鈥檚 two days and we stay overnight and sometimes it鈥檚 just in and out. Most of it (physiotherapy) now is strengthening, which can be done mostly here (Moosomin). It鈥檚 that and balancing. We can do a lot of it at home too, the days that we aren鈥檛 there.
鈥淲hen he left here in the air (on the STARS air ambulance), they stopped in Regina and then she (Levi鈥檚 mom Diane) jumped in the jet with him from Regina to Saskatoon,鈥� said Darcy. 鈥淭he Ronald McDonald House in Saskatoon was amazing to us.鈥�
Levi was in a medically induced coma from Oct. 18 until Oct. 23. On Oct. 23 he was given an MRI, which determined he required surgery on his back.
鈥淗e was in Saskatoon from October 18 to November 4鈥擮ctober 24 was surgery鈥攁nd the Ronald McDonald House charges $10 a night for families and they provide some meals. You don鈥檛 realize what a facility like that does for you until you need it,鈥� said Levi鈥檚 mom Diane. 鈥淗e wasn鈥檛 awake for two weeks. Then we moved to the (Regina) General until December 14, and from there to Wascana Rehabilitation Centre.鈥�
鈥淪urgery is pretty much done,鈥� said Darcy. 鈥淏ut we鈥檙e going to try and see another specialist鈥攖he Shriners have reached out to us to see one of their specialists and they鈥檙e working on that as we speak.鈥�
鈥淭he physiotherapist said she鈥檚 amazed because everything she throws at him he either does or figures out a way to do it,鈥� said Diane. 鈥淗e鈥檚 adapting very well.鈥�
Coming home from Regina was a milestone in itself for Levi, and being the animal lover he is, it was a treat to see all his animals on the farm again.
鈥淚t was good to see everyone,鈥� said Levi Jamieson, 鈥渁nd good to see the pets again鈥攊t was good to see all the dogs.鈥�
鈥淚 think at one point every dog we had was up in the bed with him,鈥� said Darcy with a laugh.聽
Things aren鈥檛 as easy as they were before for the Jamieson family, but the family is adapting to the changes, and Levi鈥檚 positive attitude has been a big factor in his quick adjustment.
鈥淚t鈥檚 challenging with this wheelchair, but we were in the barn and he was in with his Jersey cow when she had her calf,鈥� said Diane. 鈥淗e鈥檚 been out and about. It takes a little bit more time to get to places he wants to go.鈥�
鈥淵ou don鈥檛 just jump up and say, 鈥榣et鈥檚 go down to the World-Spectator,鈥� it takes planning,鈥� said Darcy.
The Jamiesons says that Darcy Rambold at Pharmasave in Moosomin is currently working on ordering an Action Trackstander for Levi, which would allow him to be more mobile.
Levi says he is up for the new challenges ahead and already has goals going forward and his wheelchair isn鈥檛 slowing him down or stopping him from embracing his favorite outdoor activities once again.聽
鈥淚 want to get back to riding my dirt bike and working with the cattle,鈥� says Levi.聽
鈥淗e has been skidooing,鈥� says Darcy. 鈥淲e had him skidooing New Year鈥檚 Eve on the front lawn. He was riding a small skidoo but I鈥檓 going to fix up his big one and he plans on riding it this year. He went out on the ice on the sledge and he鈥檚 been driving the team of horses鈥攚e went out for sleigh rides one day at the farm.鈥�
鈥淔irst thing he did when he got home was shoot a deer,鈥� adds Diane.
鈥淲e got the special permit to shoot out of a vehicle from the game wardens,鈥� said Darcy. 鈥淲e worked on that when we were in the hospital and we got that all taken care of and we got him home that weekend (the last weekend in November) and he shot a deer鈥攖hat was the plan of coming home, to get him out deer hunting and to get him away and active for a bit. You can only lay in a hospital for so long. It was the best therapy to get him out of there and get him home.鈥�
鈥淗e was asking the doctor to let him go and they couldn鈥檛 believe how strong he was after he came back from his two days at home,鈥� said Diane Jamieson. 鈥淚t was a different atmosphere and where he wanted to be so it was good.鈥�
Despite Levi鈥檚 impressive advancements, the Jamieson family knows there are more obstacles ahead and right now they鈥檙e focused on doing everything they can to make things accessible for Levi.
鈥淲e have a ramp and it鈥檚 24 feet now, but it still probably should be another eight feet longer,鈥� said Darcy.
鈥淩enovations will be challenging, that鈥檚 the key,鈥� said Diane. 鈥淩ight now he鈥檚 downstairs in the living room because all of the bedrooms are upstairs. We鈥檙e looking at lots of different things right now. We鈥檙e looking at getting different saddles so he can get back on his horse鈥攚e鈥檙e trying to adapt.鈥�
鈥淭here鈥檚 a guy down in Greenville, Texas who makes saddles with back supports on them鈥攈e鈥檚 been making them for 25 years,鈥� Darcy said. 鈥淲e鈥檝e been talking to him a bit and we鈥檙e trying to get one. We have to do some measuring and fitting on him to send and he鈥檒l make a saddle for him. Then he can get back on the horse and do a bit of roping.鈥�
One thing the Jamieson family can鈥檛 put into words is the appreciation they have for the community support they鈥檝e received. They鈥檝e always known the community here was strong, but to feel the value of a small community鈥檚 kindness first-hand has been life-changing for them.
鈥淚 didn鈥檛 think that would be there (the community support),鈥� said Levi. 鈥淚t鈥檚 great to have the support.鈥�
鈥淚t鈥檚 pretty overwhelming,鈥� said Diane 鈥渋t鈥檚 amazing to see all the community鈥檚 support. Saying thank you doesn鈥檛 seem to be enough. From texts to prayers to phone calls to food to donations, it was way overwhelming. There鈥檚 been so many phone calls just offering help with anything鈥攊t鈥檚 been from the moment it happened. We learned what we always knew about the Moosomin community, the surrounding areas, and all around. From the bottom of our hearts, it鈥檚 unbelievable. I can鈥檛 say enough.鈥�
鈥淚 don鈥檛 think anybody expects support like that in any case,鈥� said Darcy. 鈥淚t鈥檚 very overwhelming. We鈥檝e always supported things ourselves so it鈥檚 great that you get support back. We can鈥檛 make the thank you big enough. Some of the stuff that was going on, we were watching it鈥攍ike the heifer donation auction and the cow pie bingo (fundraiser)鈥攚e watched that on TV in Saskatoon鈥攁nd the nurses and doctors couldn鈥檛 believe it because they鈥檙e in a big city, so they couldn鈥檛 believe it. They were all standing there and watching it with us and couldn鈥檛 believe it. I don鈥檛 think there鈥檚 a person in this community that would turn us down if we needed something.鈥�
Both Darcy and Diane also say that since the accident, they now understand the real need for a paved runway in Moosomin鈥攁 project that is currently in the works鈥攕o that the Sask air ambulance can land in Moosomin and take direct flights to Saskatoon, where Levi was transported after landing in Regina on the STARS helicopter.
