On the eve of the anniversary of her husband's death, the widow of a Toronto police officer struck down in the line of duty says she is looking forward to the day.
Sgt. Ryan Russell was struck when he tried to stop a stolen snowplow on Jan. 12, 2011. The 11-year veteran of the police force died from his injuries in hospital.
Christine Russell said she's actually looking forward to Thursday and making it through the first anniversary of Ryan's death.
"That date is important to me. The date represents a fresh start I suppose, a memorial of that day," she told CTV Toronto.
On the snowy January day that Ryan died, Christine was on her way to work. She said her cellphone rang with the news.
"Nobody needed to tell me. It's something you can sense right away, it was horrible," she said. "From that moment on, at the hospital, it was, ‘How am I going to deal with this?'"
Christine kept her husband's legacy alive by donating his eyes to a little boy who can now see.
She said she's also keeping his memory alive with three-year-old Nolan.
"As time went on, I showed him pictures, I showed him news clips, photos of the funeral and YouTube videos and he completely understands now," she said. "I want him to know who his dad was."
Christine said she still receives letters and cards from strangers across Canada, and she reads every one.
"I've saved everything and it's going to be really great to show Nolan."
In the past year, there have also been fundraisers, awards and even a park dedicated to the fallen officer.
"I think the best way I can support and represent my husband is to attend," she said, "just to say thank you to everyone for honouring him."
Christine said that she is going to spend the anniversary with her closed family and friends.
Russell was the first Toronto police officer to die on the job since 2002.
With files from CTV Toronto's Tamara Cherry. Follow her at @tamaracherry.
