Thursday, February 5, 2015

My new birthday

This year I'm going to be starting a new tradition of celebrating my 2nd chance in life in what I'm going to refer to as my "Life Day"

On March 28th, 1994 I was involved in an altercation outside of Bayshore Shopping Centre in Ottawa, Ontario and Stabbed thirteen times.  I came very close to dying that night when one of the knife wounds missed my heart by half an inch.

I feel I have made the most of my life since then by always paying it forward and by starting "Timmies for Troops" in 2007.

A lot of people have asked since reading my "Bell Lets Talk Day" PTSD post what happened to the guys that did this to me.  The charges started as attempted murder then downgrade to aggravated assaults and last I heard two of them went to jail for five years.

It's time for me to bring closure to this now that I have my PTSD from this under control and a different outlook.

Every year on March 28th, I'm going to treat it like a second birthday.  I plan to randomly bring coffee & treats to fire halls & EMS here in Calgary as if it wasn't for them I would be in a wheel chair with one leg and who knows I might not even be here to type this blog.

I am currently searching for the first responders who helped saved my life on this blog "Can You Help me find the first responders who saved my life" 

If I could hope anyone reading this can take away something from this write up it's to cherish every moment you have with your loved ones as you never know when your time might be up.  I was lucky enough to get a second chance in life and going to make the most out of it.

Dave Murphy
Calgary, AB


Links : 
Original BELL Let's Talk Day Post - My Battle With PTSD
Blog post about my request to help find the First Responders who saved my life  

Here are two news articles from the days following the event.





Monday, February 2, 2015

Can You Help Me Find the First Responders who saved my life?



After many years of putting it off and dealing with symptoms of PTSD from what happened to me outside Bayshore Shopping Centre in Ottawa, Ontario I've decided to try and track down any of the first responders that saved my life in 1994.

My name is Dave Murphy and in March of 1994 I was attacked by three guys outside of the Bayshore Shopping Centre and stabbed multiple times. As this is now almost 21 years later many parts of that night are foggy but I'm hoping to find the EMS, Police or any first responders that were on site that night who helped saved my life.

I know two of the stab wounds on my leg if it had not been for a guy holding the muscle in my leg together I would be here typing this right now but I would be doing it from a wheelchair as if it wasn't for him I would have lost my leg.

I attempted to contact the "Personal Healh Information Office" and received the following reply :

Thank you for you inquiry, I would like to inform you that in 1994 Paramedic Service were provided via private firms. I would suggest the inquiring via the Ministry of Health and Long Term Care who are the governing body for all Paramedic Services in Ontario. May I suggest a starting point ,
Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care - Personal Health Information Office


I attempted to contact them and received this reply :

We don’t provide the type of information you are looking for.
You could try contacting the local ambulance service that tended to you. I believe they keep records of this sort of thing, or might be able to point you in the right direction.


I did post about the ordeal for #BellLetsTalk day and did have a retired fire fighter contact me who's looking in to it for me as well but maybe someone who knows someone might see this post and be able to help me find some of these heroes who I wouldn't be here today if not for their actions that night.

On the retired fire fighter page one of his friends did post the following :

In a general sense perhaps Nepean police info was incorporated in the the Ottawa Regional Police (Which of course has since transitioned into Ottawa Police Service). The Ottawa Police Service would be my starting point. Now from my time in Canadian Police Information Centre (CPIC) I know some departments used CPIC more than others if the department didn't have a robust internal computer system but I don't know where to start to access the CPIC. I would guess that a federal access to information request for entries created by Nepean police on xx date near yy time re stabbing incident. On a general note based on my 42 years in federal service all information desired should be done through a formal request. Informal requests / emails can be ignored or fobbed off by civil servants. Formal requests have deadlines to meet and penalties for non compliance. I know this from making a few requests myself while pursuing a grievance. In 1994 the ambulance service was a single entity province wide with dispatch centres (CACC) run by contract entity and some ambulances were private contractors. However the Ministry Of Health (MOH) set and enforced the reporting and documentation criteria across the province and everything ended up with the MOH. The patient log was a huge form in very small print with what seemed like hundreds of check boxes. The same form was used province wide by all ambulances. Those records may not have ever been computerized but likely exist in microfiche. A formal request to MOH for info would help open these old files. A further idea, "follow the money" the ambulance ride and hospital care would have been charged to the patients OHIP number. An formal access request for date time against that OHIP number could be the beginning of getting more information.

You can read my "Battle With PTSD" post for #BellLetsTalk day as well.

I want to find anyone that responded that night and be able to say THANK YOU.  I am going to be in Ontario in April and would love it if I could meet them in person and bring closure to these events and move along with my new life & new baby.

If anyone has any information please feel free to EMAIL ME

Thanks,

Dave Murphy - Calgary, AB