Rick Hansen stopped by Toronto Rehab's Lyndhurst Centre on November 5, 2011, during his cross-Canada 25th anniversary Man in Motion Tour.
Two medal bearers were chosen by Toronto Rehab to enter and exit Lyndhurst Centre as part of the 7,000-kilometre relay. Anita Kaiser, past patient of the Lyndhurst Centre and now a part-time staff member, was the exiting medal bearer.
"It was a great honour to represent Toronto Rehab as their medal bearer," says Anita. "I had a wonderful experience as a patient at the hospital 15 years ago and the health-care professionals provided the help I needed with exceptional skill, warmth and compassion. I have looked for ways ever since to give back to a community that helped me in my time of need."
Anita and her fellow medal-bearers were cheered on by more than hundred staff, patients, family and community members.
"This was one of the most memorable experiences of my life and I am thrilled I was able to share the experience with my daughter," says Anita. "Meeting Rick was inspiring and motivating. I told him that he inspires others to pursue their own dreams and he has done that for me. I am very thankful for his contributions to improving accessibility, breaking down stereotypes of disability and most importantly advancing spinal cord injury research."
