Springbank Airport crash survivors are working on walking again

It's been almost four months since the plane crashed just short of the runway at Springbank Airport, but co-pilot Megan Gallagher's memory of the day is still spotty. .

``I had a little epiphany the morning before the accident. I had arranged with Michael Wilton, who was the president of Flight Simple Aircraft Sales, to help train students on a plane he had just purchased.

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I would fly in with Michael, and then me and the students were to return to Fort St. John that day or the next day.

Not being fully familiar with all the equipment on the recently refurbished aircraft, Megan embarked on a "checkout his flight" with Wilton on April 22nd.

"Besides seeing the picture, I don't remember Michael or what he looked like. I don't remember seeing him at all.

The next thing Megan remembers is waking up in a hospital in a panic, paralyzed.

"I think I panicked because I couldn't remember the accident. When I was first told there was an accident, I thought it was a WestJet plane (from Fort St. John) that crashed.

The news upset the Gallagher family that Friday afternoon.

"A lot of mothers would say they don't want to hear that," her mother Angela Gallagher told Global News.

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BC The phone number rang at Gallagher's house and Angela at first thought it might be Megan, who was already in Calgary. It was Megan's boss who got the news of the late afternoon crash.

"It was terrible. That's what I had in my head at the time," said Angela.

"My youngest daughter heard me and came down. When she ran downstairs, I said,

Angela said it was "terrifying" to see Megan intubated and bandaged in an emergency room bed.

After the plane crash, she was somewhat relieved to see her daughter alive.

"From that point on, I was like, 'Okay, let's get through this,'" said Angela.

Wake up

Initially, the hospital allowed only her two visitors at a time. However, the family is dominated by Megan's mother and fiancé Kirk.

Her COVID-19 priorities in the intensive care unit included pre-visit testing, wearing a mask and dressing up, which she said made for a difficult visit. said the mother.

"This is all happening. You just want to tear it all down and hold her girlfriend," said Angela.

to help her recount what happened. It was especially distressing to have a boss who shared the first name of the man who died in her plane crash with her.

A glimmer of hope

Doctors told Megan that she had spinal cord compression In an accident he told us he was suffering from amputation.

Her first physical therapy was to familiarize her with the operation of a wheelchair.

"[The doctor] said, 'Don't expect to be able to walk again.' It's hardly at the level of your injury."

This type of injury It is usually complete paralysis below a certain part of the body and numbness below that part. But Megan reacted when her needle was inserted into her leg for her treatment.

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"Oops, can you feel it?" And then at the hospital my left leg started to move again and Kirk worked with me every day to help me move my leg and get it back in motion. It was made. what i can do. ''

During this month Megan received regular physical therapy designed to improve her locomotion.

"Everything you don't think about, like walking or moving your legs, is all very natural until you can do it. And now about all the muscles that move your legs." You have to think," Megan said.

Her physiotherapist estimates she can walk the trajectory with her ankle brace may eventually remove the support.

Recently, Megan has started working on stepping back. Her progress inspires her work ethic.

"The first time I stood up, just standing there, I was like, 'Wow, this is amazing.'"

step by step

Her mother Said Megan has always been a "big planner," always planning her next steps in life.

"Now she's saying, obviously these things have happened and I can't plan my future like I used to. But if I had planned the little things …” said Angela. "So now what we're planning is the little things."

One of these small steps One was flown by a friend who lives in Weyburn, Sask.

"Good to be on the plane again," said Megan. "For the year before that, I flew almost every day.

Megan's future as a hired pilot is currently uncertain and depends on her recovery. But one of her goals is to get back in the cockpit, even if it's just for fun.

"Again It's not even as simple as being able to walk," Meghan said of her next steps. she returns to her career. “Getting a medical license to be a commercial pilot is quite [challenging].

"So getting approval as a pilot again might be the tricky part." }

Road to Recovery

The Transportation Safety Board is investigating the accident.

Megan received a call from her TSB during her hospitalization, but her lost memories did not help her officials.

She thinks the accident may have been caused by a sudden change in weather, but she is not sure.

"Hopefully we'll have more answers once they're done reporting, but it's hard to know if they can actually identify the cause of the accident," she said. said.

"I'm not sure what happened that day." I am grateful for the help of strangers who witnessed

"They didn't know anything about me. They didn't even think about it- They just drove to this plane and pulled me out.

Many told Angela that Meghan's survival was a "miracle."

"Yes, it's a miracle. There are people who fell far from the sky, survived, are now breathing, are alive, and are on the road to recovery by walking again." said Angela.

She said, "My daughter's strength is unbelievable."

The road to recovery is one step at a time for Megan.

"From quite early on, my goal was to walk again," she said. "I think I'm a pretty stubborn person. You should at least try."

– Using files from Global News' Sarah Offin

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