It was a damn cold day with high winds even by Arctic standards. It was unlikely that we would see any fixed-wing aircraft landing. There was one helicopter stranded and on standby, waiting for the weather to change. Stormy days are usually very quiet times in small communities above the treeline, and the health centre was no exception.
Midmorning, when the doorbell rang in the clinic, everyone knew that whoever was coming out in this weather must be in dire straits. The housekeeper was the quickest to respond and opened the door to a young mother carrying a child bundled in bloody blankets, with obvious massive head injuries. She said his name was David, and he was barely conscious. First aid was rendered immediately. We cut his long hair, revealing deep lacerations … then with tape and yards of gauze and ice packs tried to control the bleeding. Intravenous fluids helped to stabilize him for the moment … moments of eternity and uncertainty.
Bio:
CONNIE LEVERT’s nursing career began when, as a teenager, she enrolled in a hospital training program with the Grey Nuns of the Cross. She then enjoyed a half century of memorable challenges serving in the Canadian Arctic. A federal government scholarship in the early 1970s added a BScN to her qualifications to nurse in the North.