It’s a day that most Manitobans will never forget, but it’s a day that Mary Hudyma can barely remember.
Hudyma, an 80-year-old Dauphin resident, was one of 25 people on a bus that was struck by a semi-trailer near Carberry on June 15, 2023. The passengers were heading to a casino for the day. Seventeen people lost their lives; Hudyma was one of eight seriously injured.
“It’s a blur,” says Hudyma of the deadliest highway crash in Manitoba’s history. “I don’t remember the impact and I don’t remember being thrown from the bus.”
What Hudyma does remember is the quality of care she received, and the compassion that came with it.
Hudyma was taken to a nearby hospital and then sent to Health Sciences Centre in Winnipeg where she had two surgeries: one to repair damaged vertebrae; and another to remove gravel embedded in her leg.
“I know that being a nurse can be stressful, and I don’t think I was a very easy patient at first,” says Hudyma, “but I never heard anyone complain. Everyone who helped me was cheerful and kind. There was one aide—an older man—who made me laugh every day, even on those days I didn’t feel much like laughing. It was such a caring place to be.”
Hudyma was ultimately transferred to her local hospital for rehabilitation and physiotherapy. After discharge, she continued with physiotherapy and exercises at home. She walked the halls of her apartment building, using her walker less and less as her strength and stability improved.
Through her feisty and determined recovery—and through the sadness of losing friends in the horrific crash—Hudyma has remained positive and grateful. To commemorate the anniversary of the crash, Hudyma attended a memorial in Dauphin and made a donation to the HSC Foundation in appreciation for the care she received.
“We have to be proud of what we have and we have to financially support it when we can,” she says.
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