We remember
An Amazing Legacy is Forged
Veterans injured in World War 2 built an organization to fight for full and fair lives.
Canadians supported them as a way to give back to the Veterans who made such immense sacrifices in the fight for a free and better world.
The combination has dramatically changed tens of thousands of lives … and counting.
This is the story of the beginning of this amazing legacy.
Lieutenant John Counsell was in the first wave of brave Canadians who landed on the shores of Dieppe in 1942. While leading his men in battle, Counsell was shot and suffered a near fatal spinal cord injury. The 21 year old Counsell was awarded the Military Cross for his example of leadership and actions of valour that August day.
Counsell would confess to thinking his life was over, instead, he was at the beginning of an amazing life of service in support of his fellow Veterans and Canadians with spinal cord injuries.
Counsell was put in the care of fellow Canadian Dr. Harry Botterell, who had been championing new treatment techniques and working relentlessly to change the medical community’s fatalistic attitude towards people with spinal cord injury.
Dr. Botterell was certain that the dynamic Counsell could be the leader needed to blaze a path for a new level of care for people with spinal cord injuries and shared his vision with Counsell.
Counsell would return to Canada and placed in the care of Dr. William Cone who would encourage Counsell to improve his strength and embrace self-care.
Counsell would meet, be inspired and become lifelong friends with Jimmy Darou, a former jockey with a spinal cord injury who spent his free time offering his support and guidance to the newly injured long before peer support even had a name.
John Counsell
Lieutenant John Counsell was in the first wave of brave Canadians who landed on the shores of Dieppe in 1942. While leading his men in battle, Counsell was shot and suffered a near fatal spinal cord injury. The 21 year old Counsell was awarded the Military Cross for his example of leadership and actions of valour that August day.
John Counsell
Counsell would confess to thinking his life was over, instead, he was at the beginning of an amazing life of service in support of his fellow Veterans and Canadians with spinal cord injuries.
Counsell was put in the care of fellow Canadian Dr. Harry Botterell, who had been championing new treatment techniques and working relentlessly to change the medical community’s fatalistic attitude towards people with spinal cord injury.
Dr. Botterell was certain that the dynamic Counsell could be the leader needed to blaze a path for a new level of care for people with spinal cord injuries and shared his vision with Counsell.
Counsell would return to Canada and placed in the care of Dr. William Cone who would encourage Counsell to improve his strength and embrace self-care.
Counsell would meet, be inspired and become lifelong friends with Jimmy Darou, a former jockey with a spinal cord injury who spent his free time offering his support and guidance to the newly injured long before peer support even had a name.
Returning home to Ontario, Counsell was fortunate to be in a position to create a network of care for himself that few could afford. Public healthcare was still nearly two decades away.
Counsell would import one of the first folding wheelchairs and it would quickly become the key to his mobility and vitality. Counsell soon recognized that, though he could afford a wheelchair, many of his fellow Veterans could not, so he fought for wheelchairs to be provided to Veterans.
Visiting his fellow Veterans at Christie Street Military Hospital and seeing the terrible conditions they lived under Counsell would embrace Dr. Botterell’s vision for their care. Philanthropist
L.M. Wood encouraged Counsell in the pursuit of that vision and used his influence to get the government on board. They would succeed. Counsell’s own recovery being their strongest argument for change.
The Canadian Paraplegic Association (CPA), the fore parent of Spinal Cord Injury Ontario, would be born on January 16 1945 (and Incorporated on May 10 1945). Lyndhurst, the first rehab hospital of its kind in North America, would host its first patient in March 1945 and soon become internationally renowned. The CPA would both manage Lyndhurst and be the champion for a better life for people with spinal cord injury.
Dr. Harry Botterell
Returning home to Ontario, Counsell was fortunate to be in a position to create a network of care for himself that few could afford. Public healthcare was still nearly two decades away.
Dr. Harry Botterell
Counsell would import one of the first folding wheelchairs and it would quickly become the key to his mobility and vitality. Counsell soon recognized that, though he could afford a wheelchair, many of his fellow Veterans could not, so he fought for wheelchairs to be provided to Veterans.
Visiting his fellow Veterans at Christie Street Military Hospital and seeing the terrible conditions they lived under Counsell would embrace Dr. Botterell’s vision for their care. Philanthropist
L.M. Wood encouraged Counsell in the pursuit of that vision and used his influence to get the government on board. They would succeed. Counsell’s own recovery being their strongest argument for change.
The Canadian Paraplegic Association (CPA), the fore parent of Spinal Cord Injury Ontario, would be born on January 16 1945 (and Incorporated on May 10 1945). Lyndhurst, the first rehab hospital of its kind in North America, would host its first patient in March 1945 and soon become internationally renowned. The CPA would both manage Lyndhurst and be the champion for a better life for people with spinal cord injury.
All of the Original 7 members of the CPA were Veterans of World War 2 with spinal cord injuries. John Counsell would be supported by Andrew Clarke, Arthur Hay, Edward Higginbottom, Jack Higman, Douglas Quirt and Joseph Wrangham. They in turn would be supported by LM Wood, Dr. Botterell and Walter Gordon; and fellow Veterans Conn Smythe and E.W. Bickle. The CPA and Lyndhurst might not have been born or survived without their guidance and support.
The success of the CPA and Lyndhurst would depend upon the support of hundreds of dedicated volunteers, employees; and thousands of donors who sought to give back to the Veterans who made such immense sacrifices in the fight for a free and better world.
The support of peers, help navigating a way forward, sharing lived experience knowledge, advocating for better policy, help with employment, equipment for those in need; all these efforts that help people today, were born 80 years ago out of the comradery of Veterans who pursued a vision with the hard earned understanding that great challenges can be overcome by working together.
There is a connection between Veterans, born of a unique shared experience that needs to be lived to be understood. Veterans created an organization to empower their fight for full and fair lives, then shared what they built to serve everyone impacted by the immense and unique challenges of a spinal cord injury.
When you give, you fuel the fight for full and fair lives today, and you are part of upholding this amazing legacy that has helped tens of thousands of people.
Your gift means someone who thinks their life is over, will be supported, encouraged, and shown what is possible. Your gift makes you part of their legacy too.
Ken Langford
Ken Langford
