A Toronto gym teacher continues intense physical rehabilitation, three months after an unsolved hit-and-run left him partially paralyzed.
Michael Stewart was hit by a gold minivan outside his home near Kipling Avenue and Highway 401 on March 14 when he went outside, armed with a baseball bat, to confront suspected vandals who had egged his front window.
As soon as Stewart was hit, he knew something was terribly wrong, he recalled in an interview Tuesday.
He recalled yelling at his wife, Trina, who was following him out the door.
"I yelled at Trina, ‘Call 911. I think I'm paralyzed.'"
On Tuesday, Stewart took seven halting steps, a personal best for the once active high school gym teacher and baseball coach.
He has been undergoing intense rehabilitation after back surgery, which had to be followed by weeks of bed rest before he could begin to move again.
Stewart said he thinks back to the night of the accident often. He believes the driver panicked when he was confronted and accidently drove into him.
At this point, police said they have run out of leads in the investigation, but Stewart is still hoping that someone will come forward, either the driver of the van, or a witness.
"I want them caught. I want this situation resolved," said Stewart. "But, if they don't get caught, I've said it many times, I just hope they make better decisions from now on."
Despite the outcome of his decision to confront the vandals, Stewart said he wouldn't have acted any differently.
He said he refuses to be a victim and always wants to protect his family.
Whether someone is caught or not, Stewart said he plans to continue his recovery process, which has been buoyed by his wife. She brings him a bagel and coffee every single morning before driving to her own teaching job in Brampton.
"How do you repay the person who stands by you when you're at your worst?" Stewart asked. "I don't mean worst as in having a bad day. I've had a bad three months and she's been an absolute rock."
His goal is to walk out of the Toronto Rehabilitation Institute and return to his job as a teacher in September.
With files from CTV Toronto's Austin Delaney
