Last Thursday evening at St. Joseph’s Health Care Foundation Tribute Dinner, Chris Hadfield, the first Canadian Commander of the International Space Station, spoke to an audience of over 1500 people relating some of his incredible experiences as an astronaut and some of the learnings we benefit from because of space travel. Through his amazing ability as a speaker and teacher he demonstrated how he is able to re-connect people around the world to the wonder of the universe and the marvels of science. Part of the large audience last evening included some 300 hundred high school students – the next generation of scientists and innovators who will continue to go to new frontiers in both space and in medicine. There is a strong link between these two realities.
The new frontiers that St. Joseph’s Health Care featured last evening shed light on how Parkwood Hospital is using innovative technology to address those living with the effects of stroke, brain injury, and spinal cord injury. The staff at Parkwood Hospital introduced Chris Hadfield to their new Locomotive Training program. This is an intensive therapy designed to help those with spinal cord or acquired brain injury regain lower body strength and, in some cases, learn to walk again. The hospital featured their new Ekso skeleton. This is a full body robotic outer skeleton that artificially powers a person’s lower extremities. A patient wearing this skeleton, was on stage showing us how it was helping a man regain mobility after a farm accident.
It was not difficult to see the links between the two programs of space and medicine, both using science to go to new frontiers. Star Trek’s claim “to go where no one has gone before” was demonstrated in spades last evening. Our thanks and gratitude go to both Colonel Chris Hadfield and to St. Joseph’s Health Care for helping us see and benefit from these new frontiers.
Joan Atkinson, CSJ