Bjarne Neilsen walks on a treadmill during his physiotherapy at the Virtual Lab of Ottawa Rehab Hospital. Sgt. Neilsen was injured by an IED during his tour in Afghanistan.Dave Chan For The Globe and Mail
Sergeant Bjarne Nielsen was on a mission. He stole through the corridors of the Ottawa Hospital Rehabilitation Centre last week with the lemon-meringue pie he had baked to surprise the people who have helped him come so far.
On Canada Day, 2010, Sgt. Nielsen was on patrol in Afghanistan with Bravo company, 1st battalion, the Royal Canadian Regiment, when a blast from a hidden bomb threw him high in the air. The explosion destroyed his left leg and blew open his right arm.
Surgeons at Kandahar Airfield saved his life, and he would spend six more months in hospital back in Canada before returning home to Cambridge, Ont.. The 31-year-old arrived at the rehab centre in April, his skin grafts still healing. What remained of his left leg – which measures about 20 centimetres from the hip – was pointing outwards instead of down, and would require extensive stretching before he could walk with a prosthetic limb. His wounded arm was missing an elbow, and he could barely touch his left index finger to his thumb. Sgt. Nielsen had been through some dark periods, not knowing where his life was going, but now he was determined to work hard for the sake of his seven-year-old daughter, Heather. He also wanted other veterans wounded in Afghanistan to know he hadn't given up.
He has made astonishing progress, a testament not only to his determination and powerful work ethic, but also to the importance of the relationships he formed with members of his medical team. They inspired him when he was down, built his confidence to try new things, and coached, challenged and supported him as he learned to walk and use his left hand. With a week to go to Remembrance Day, it was time for him to say goodbye and thank you, so he baked the pie and tried to put his feelings into words in the cards he distributed throughout the building.
"There is thoughtfulness that I got from them. I don't know how to explain it," Sgt. Nielsen said. "The dedication, the empathy. These people aren't there for the paycheque. They get their satisfaction out of seeing the results."
In June, he took his first steps with a prosthetic leg, gripping a bar with his right hand for support. He worked on his flexibility, balance and endurance and learned to go up hills and down. There were setbacks, including the week he spent on a couch because his blistered limb was too sore to continue.
He lost much of his left buttock in the explosion, so the nerves and bone are close to the surface. This made it a challenge for prosthetist Patrick Lebel to engineer a comfortable fit with the socket of Sgt. Nielsen's new leg.
But by September, he was able to walk five kilometres in the annual Army Run. Drenched in sweat, he was cheered to the finish line by members of his rehab team. He has made remarkable progress with his hand as well. It is much stronger and more flexible than it was seven months ago. He can make a fist, beat eggs, bake a pie.
Physiotherapist Marie Andrée Paquin knew how hard to push him.
"She took me right to that threshold of what I thought I was capable of and then would push me just a little bit more," Sgt. Nielsen said.
She tried to keep it fun, getting him to play soccer and badminton as part of his training. He also used a virtual reality treadmill, with a platform that tilts and visual imagery that makes if feel like he's walking through a maze or tackling the ups and downs of a forest road.
On the few occasions that his resolve slipped, occupational therapist Tina Kuznik would remind him why he had come to Ottawa.
"Don't you give up on me now. Heather needs you. Your daughter is the one you are doing this for," Ms. Kuznik remembers telling him.
"Heather was my resolve," Sgt. Nielsen said. "The ultimate lesson for her is that despite tragedy, anything can be accomplished."
His achievements, but also his attitude, have inspired staff and other patients. Next year he wants to run – not walk – the Army Run. His ultimate goal is to do an Ironman triathlon.
He was looking forward to getting home, but knows the world outside the rehab centre is not as supportive or welcoming. He's found that people don't hold doors open, even when he is a step or two behind them. Sometimes strangers stare at him, then look away and won't meet his eye.
"I find that uncomfortable. If you are curious, just ask. That is why I love kids – they just want to know. Adults tend to be shy or concerned about offending. Just be casual, and ask, 'How did that happen?' "
Ms. Paquin says Sgt. Nielsen is ready to move on.
"It's the mother in me," she said. "He is ready to move out and see the world. I am proud of Bjarne and what he was able to achieve and I am waiting to see what else he is going to do. I know it doesn't stop here."