Woman admitted to Toronto ICU for more than 300 days cleared to go home
After 340 days on a ventilator in intensive care at Humber River Hospital, 27-year-old Toronto resident Nicole Pampena was finally discharged Wednesday.
She was wheeled out of the hospital to the sounds of her favourite singer, Drake, and cheers from hospital staff.
“I’m not much of a bible thumper,” her father, Joseph Pampena, told CTV News Toronto. “But she really is a miracle."
He says when Nicole was initially admitted on Aug. 20 last year, after suffering bleeding and undergoing surgery, he was told she probably wouldn’t make it.
“However, I’ve been told that since she was born,” he says.
Nicole was born premature and has cerebral dysgenesis, a rare condition affecting brain development in infancy. She's unable to stand or swallow and needs constant nursing care.
While she was in ICU, she needed a tracheostomy. With her dedicated nursing support and her own determination, she was able to slowly improve.
Registered social worker Olivia Coughlin, who’s been with Nicole since she was admitted, says it’s extremely unusual for someone in ICU for so long to be allowed to go directly home.
“Typically patients who are on ventilators have to go to a secondary program before they're able to go directly home," Coughlin said. “So this is definitely a first for us, sending home directly from our ICU. It’s a very unique case.”
The key was having Nicole’s private nursing team get special training from Humber River Hospital and West Park Health, so they would be equipped to use her ventilator and related equipment.
The family has set up a GoFundMe in an effort to crowdsource funds needed to "offset some of the nursing expenses."
Joseph, who is blind, is Nicole’s main caregiver. Her mother died of liver cancer several years ago.
Joseph communicates with Nicole by placing his hand on her head, and Nicole, who is non-verbal, indicates her responses by nodding or shaking her head.
Nicole is only home for a day pass right now, but if everything goes smoothly, she should be able to go home permanently next week.
And that, Coughlin says, was her mother’s dying wish -- to have Nicole be safe and happy at home.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Ontario Provincial Police arrest 64 suspects in child sexual exploitation investigation
Ontario Provincial Police say 64 suspects are facing a combined 348 charges in connection with a series of child sexual exploitation investigations that spanned the province.
AstraZeneca says it will withdraw COVID-19 vaccine globally as demand dips
AstraZeneca said on Tuesday it had initiated the worldwide withdrawal of its COVID-19 vaccine due to a 'surplus of available updated vaccines' since the pandemic.
'Summer of discontent': Federal unions vow to fight new 3-day a week office mandate
Federal unions are launching legal challenges and encouraging public sector workers to file "tens of thousands" of grievances over the new mandate requiring federal workers to return to the office at least three days a week in the fall.
Toronto police seek suspect vehicle after security guard shot outside Drake's mansion
Toronto police are seeking help from the public as they continue to investigate a shooting that seriously injured a security guard outside rapper Drake's mansion.
'Ozempic babies': Reports of surprise pregnancies raise new questions about weight loss drugs
Numerous women have shared stories of 'Ozempic babies' on social media. But the joy some experience in discovering pregnancies may come with anxiety about the unknowns.
OPINION What King Charles' schedule being too 'full' to accommodate son suggests
Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex, has made headlines with his recent arrival in the U.K., this time to celebrate all things Invictus. But upon the prince landing in the U.K., we have already had confirmation that King Charles III won't have time to see his youngest son during his brief visit.
Seafood, eat food: Calgary Stampede releases Midway menu
The Calgary Stampede has released its menu of sweet, salty and spicy treats available on the Midway for the Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth.
Boy Scouts of America is rebranding. Here's why they've changed their name
After more than a century, Boy Scouts of America is rebranding as Scouting America, another major shakeup for an organization that once proudly resisted change.
These snakes not only fake their own deaths, they use gory special effects to do it
Awards season may be over for human actors this year, but there’s no rest for some of nature’s most audacious thespians.