Duke Halik

Duke Halik: Forever Grateful

On March 13, 2004, Duke Halik was called in to work at the Salvation Army hostel in downtown Ottawa on his day off. By the end of the day, he was fighting for his life.

“That evening, one of the clients was being disruptive,” Duke recalls. “My colleague and I were speaking calmly with him, when all of a sudden he took out a nine-inch hunting knife. Without warning, he stabbed me in the knee and again in the abdomen.”

Duke was rushed to emergency at The Ottawa Hospital with damage to his spleen, pancreas, stomach, liver and kidneys. He underwent five hours of operations that night; and he had six more operations while in a coma over the following 2.5 months.

In addition to two months of dialysis in the Intensive Care Unit, Duke also spent two months in rehabilitation learning to walk, eat, breathe and talk again.

Duke is living proof that the Hospital is moving in the right direction as it upgrades its facilities and attracts new medical specialists.

“It is clear that without the highly skilled staff at The Ottawa Hospital, I wouldn’t be here today,” says Duke. “The head trauma surgeon later told me that as recently as two years ago, the medical procedures used to stabilize me were not available.”

His message to everyone in our community is simple: “It may not have occurred to you that some day you or a family member may need The Ottawa Hospital. I truly hope you never will. But be grateful that it is here to provide care each and every day?don’t take it for granted. The Ottawa Hospital needs your support.