tales-of-Fogo-Island

Because of poor weather conditions when we arrived in Gander, noplanes were going to St John's. We spent that night at Gander Hospital. Iwas getting very concerned about the patients, because they hadserious fractures. Injuries of that type should be treated within twentyfourhours. We had already gone more than forty-eight hours, and wewere still stuck in Gander.I called the doctor and asked him if we could get an ambulance or trainto St John's. He told me that we could not get an ambulance because theroad to St. John's was not open. He also said that it was impossible to fita stretcher into a passenger car on the train. I suggested that we put thepatients in the baggage car and before long, the two patients and I wereon our way to St. John's.That was a difficult journey for me. I had gone without sleep for a longtime and I was getting very tired. I remember sitting on a pile of mailbags next to the stretchers as I tended to the patients. I also remembertwo of the conductors on the train. I will never forget them. They broughtme strong tea in big, thick mugs. They helped to keep me awake.We finally arrived in St. John's, three and a half days after the accident.They both had surgery done by the only bone specialist inNewfoundland at the time. After a long stay at the old General Hospital(now the Miller Centre) they made a good recovery and now live normallives.The people on Fogo Island were very kind to Nurse Cole. She says no matterwhere she went, people offered her a cup of tea and a 'lunch'. It did not matterif the people were rich or poor. If they had food in the house, they wanted toshare it. She says that dealing with such caring and generous people was ajoy.Nurse Cole retired from nursing in 1983. However, after leaving her position atthe hospital, she spent a great deal of time volunteering. To honor herdedication to others, Nurse Cole received the Order of the Red Cross inJanuary of 1991.Later that year, she was again honored for her hard work. On November 1,1991, she received the Order of Canada. The Order of Canada is the highestmedal of honor that can be awarded to a civilian in this country.