Description
Ms. Orford describes being asked to treat patients aboard the HMCS Lady Nelson. She treats a variety of injuries, but remembers in particular a severely crippled polio patient.
Elizabeth Orford
Elizabeth Orford was born on April 14, 1923 in Toronto, Ontario. She chose physiotherapy as a career and graduated from the University of Toronto in June, 1943. Ms. Orford interned at the Children's Memorial Hospital, dealing with victims of polio. When asked to join the Royal Canadian Army Medical Corps, she accepted, enlisting in Montreal. Ms. Orford first served in Canadian military hospitals, dealing with infantry and flight training injuries. She went overseas, and worked in #9 Canadian hospital, Horsham, then moved to #24 Canadian hospital, Horley. There, Ms. Orford treated many amputees and burn victims. After returning home, she worked at the Christie Street Veterans Hospital in Toronto.
Transcript
On board there were patients, once again, from the Commonwealth Air Training Scheme camp injuries. And the commanding officer of troops, Colonel Carl Hollis, who interestingly enough many years later was to head up Sunny Brook when I went there to work. But he asked if I would mind since there wasn’t a therapist attached to the Lady Nelson would I mind working on my way over with these different patients which I did. I had, there were the usual fractures and sprains and there was one awfully nice, young fellow, a young Scots lad, who had gotten polio while he was here in Canada with the Commonwealth Scheme and he had been at Christie Street Hospital. Well, he had lost the use of his back, abdomen, both legs, I think his arms were all right but his legs were just very flail, so I gave him his exercises, passive and active exercises if he could do anything and I attempted to walk him with the help of another patient but it got so rocky on board. Once the Lady Nelson got into the, where the sort of the Gulf stream meets the Labrador current it became quite turbulent. So it got quite to the point where I didn’t dare walk him anymore but I was kept busy all morning which perhaps it was a good idea because it kept my mind off of my stomach.