Second_Life

Hi…My name is Jaysen Reyes, I am 26 years old. I am a contract worker here in Canada and I came from Philippines May 25,2013.I started to come in Orion Health Centre April,2014 and been discharged October,2014.It’s almost 8 months. I write this story of mine because I am hoping that in this simple way, I can inspire you. My injury is the reason why my feet bring me in Orion Health Centre, and it all started on the day that it was happened. I am a contract worker in a gas station in Fas Gas in Red Deer .I am a hard working guy. Because I want to help my mother financially.That is why I came here in Canada to work hard so that I can send money to my mother. I start working in Fas Gas Station May 29,2013.I work in a day shift, but most of the time, I work at night shift. September 11,2013 around 11:00 PM, a very horrible night for me. My schedule was 11:00 PM - 6:00 AM. It was a quiet night, it’s Wednesday. Just few costumer are coming inside the store. Around 11:30 PM, there was a guy who entered the store. I was shocked and feel very nervous when I saw him carrying a long shotgun. He walked in front of me. Then he pointed the long shotgun in my head. I was so very nervous, my mind became blank. Heartbeat so fast, really fast. I raise my two hands and he said to me that he want money and cigarettes. I will give him all the money and cigarettes, but unfortunately, he didn't wait. He shoot me in my face.I covered my two hands. Suddenly, bloods were flowing everywhere in my face and hands. My ears were ringing. I feel the pain everywhere in my body. I feel like I’m going to die anytime. Some of my fingers were hanging, they were totally damage from the gunshot. Some of my front teeth also were damage. My right eye was affected also. Bloods. A lot of bloods going out from my body. But I am still breathing. I am still standing. Then he told me again that he want the money and cigarettes. Then my feet start to walk, and get all the money and cigarettes. I get a black bag, I put all the money and cigarettes in the black bag. I feel like I’m walking dead. It’s very painful. I can’t even describe how painful it was. Then I crouch at the right corner in the cashier area. I just close my eyes and wait for my death. He was still pointing the shotgun to me. The money that I handed to him was only 200 dollars, something like that. So I thought that he will shoot me again before he leave the store. But about 5 minutes pass, there was no gunshot happen. So I open my eyes again, I have a blurry vision at that time. With my remaining strength, I stand and walk slowly to ask for a help. I can’t use anymore my cellphone and telephone because of my hand injury. I was very lucky that in the middle of the quiet night, there was a costumer who enter the store, then he saw me, he called immediately 911.I was in the hospital from September to December. I don’t have family here in Alberta. I was alone in hospital. I feel like I don’t want to continue anymore. I’m very helpless. Very hopeless. My dreams are gone instantly. I lost my right thumb and left ring finger. My right eye was blurry. My front teeth was broke. I had more than 10 surgeries in my hands and 6 surgeries in my right eye. But in those worst time of my life, there was still some good person is willing to help me. The vice president of the company that I am working, he bring my mother here in Canada so that my mother can take care of me while I’m recovering. Then the WCB made an appointment to me and they wanted me to go in Orion Health Centre. They said that they will make a counselling regarding with my trauma.They will do also some physical exercise in regards of my fingers. In my first day in Orion Heath Centre, I feel like it’s just a waste of time. It doesn't help me to feel good. I always feel hopeless. I feel like I just want to stay in my room for the rest of my life. At first month, that was I felt in the Orion Health Centre. But day by day, I found my self changing physically ,mentally, and emotionally. In my 8 months program in Orion Health Centre, I can tell that I improve a lot physically and emotionally. But it’s not that easy. A lot of homework, goals, education, exercise, recreational activities that I did just to feel back my self again. The feeling of full of hope and the feeling of going forward in my life. The hardest part that I encounter in my program was in the part that I should go in a gas station and remember all the horrible happened. And I have to tell it to my psychologist every time that we had an appointment. It’s really hard. I don’t want to do it because it’s always make me nervous, scared, vomit, dizzy, and it makes my heartbeat fast and my breathing also. But what I’m thinking every time we are doing those exposure was I have to do it because I know that they are doing all of these to help me heal my trauma mentally and emotionally and to lessen my SUDS. At 8 months that I did all those activities, a lot of big changes happened in my life. I can write again , I can ride a bike again, I can cut foods again, I can play basketball again, I can still do all of the things that I’m doing before even if I don't have my right thumb and ring finger anymore. And the most important thing that happened in my life after my program in Orion Health Centre is I feel HOPEFUL again. I feel like I am better now, better than before my accident. The people from Orion Health Centre are very helpful to me. My story is very horrible. But my story is very inspirational. I do hope I inspired you with this. Don’t give up. Keep on going. Believe in your self. Be strong always and think positively. I know it’s hard.But I know you can do it. 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