Inga Tkachenko Ramage

Transcript

Look at this stuff. Isn't it neat? Wouldn't you think my collection's complete? There I was standing in er at 3:00 a. m. singing Little Mermaid to a complete stranger. His grip was tight, as if I was his lifeline. We met earlier at a chief's gala. He was a criminal lawyer, smart and funny. We shook hands, and a few hours later, I was holding that same hand as he was gasping for air. He had the stroke and collapsed right in front of me.

He was taken away by the ambulance. And as they drove away, I thought, if it was someone I loved, I wouldn't want them to wake up alone in the hospital. So, I followed him. At the hospital, I helped police search for his family. I even found mutual friends phone numbers. But you'd be surprised how actually it's hard to find somebody and reach in the middle of the night. So I sat by his bed terrified. Singing came to heart. It was a song that comforted my daughter and me long before I became a mom.

Wonder and free. Wish I could be part of that world. Figured he won't judge. At 4:00 a. m. I got bad news. Doctors came and said that he urgently needs a brain surgery and he may not survive. I prayed, "Please let him live." Few hours later in the morning, his family arrived. They saw me. Tears. They hugged me. You saved his life. A year later, I'm holding my daughter's hand at St. Michael's Hospital. I was visiting a client. She needed to pee.

If you know anything about three-year-olds, you know it's not the time to negotiate, right? We turned the corner and I froze. Toward us was coming a family of five people. They were ruling a boy in a gurnie. He was distorted. His face was misshapen. His skull was distorted. He was covered in uh casts and gaues from head to toe. It was heartbreaking to even look at. The elevator door opened and they said, "Come on in." My instinct was to shield my daughter to take the next one.

But I thought if I step back, this family might feel like their boy is too broken to be seen. So we walked in. I asked what happened. They said he was hit by a boat. A propeller crushed his skull in multiple places. He was told he won't make it, but he's fighting. Before I could say anything, my daughter stepped up from behind me and looked right at him. She said, "What's his name?" I said, "Austin." She smiled and said, "Hi, Austin."

The elevator that I tried to avoid became the most human place on earth. The next morning, my daughter woke up and the first thing she said was, "Austin needs a band-aid." To her, it meant I can do something to help. Kind of like that Little Mermaid song. We stay in touch with Austin family. In fact, five of them are here today. I am honored to say that Austin is extraordinary and really is a fighter. He's been discharged after being months and months in the hospital and is also here today.

And I know it was the undying love that surrounded him that helped carry him through, not just the princess band-aid. [snorts] In 2011, I survived a bad car crash. My body healed, but something inside me changed. I chose to live a rippled driven life. And after helping thousands of people after car accidents, I learned that prevention is the key. And what's the best way to send a message to people? We wrote a book. It's a children's book on road safety that teaches awareness and kindness.

Would you agree that every life we touch sends a ripple into the world? And maybe one day a parent or a child who once read that book will slow down, will buckle up, wear a helmet, or protect someone they love without even knowing that they're continuing our ripple. My daughter, who just turned four and is also here today, [snorts] does not see a mom who works with people after car accidents. She sees a mom who brings care. And somehow she decided that's her job, too.

Because we don't teach purpose by talking about it. We teach it by living it. And whether it's a song at 3:00 a. m. , a princess band-aid, a written book, or a simple how can I uplift you, we can all create a ripple today. And those ripples, they become legacy. [screaming]

Transcript generated from the recording and lightly cleaned. Some names and wording may differ from the spoken speech.

Transcript

I could feel mine when all of a sudden I didn't know if it was my last one. It is a beautiful winter morning. In fact, Ukrainian Orthodox Christmas. I just left my manicure appointment, was heading to the office, listening to my favorite music, driving very careful not to smudge my beautiful nails, and then bam, t-boned by an 18-wheeler. Glass shattered everywhere. Metal crashed around me. The door was jammed and I was trapped. The last thing I remember was the piercing sound of the blade when first responders cut me free.

When I woke up at Sunnybrook Hospital, I learned that amongst other injuries, I had severe concussion. I would slip in these weird dreams. It was like a dream inside a dream inside a dream. You know that movie uh Inception, right? I even told the doctors, "I feel like Leonardo DiCaprio." They laughed. It was a new symptom for them. I tried to laugh, too. But I couldn't. I was terrified. Every time I fell asleep, I didn't know if I will wake up fully again.

But here is a twist. At that time, I wasn't new to the world of accidents. I already worked at a rehab clinic. I had the team. I knew the system. I knew the protocol. But I didn't know the feeling, the fear, the pain, the loneliness until I lived it. My team, they put me back on my feet. But I wasn't the same person anymore. I was driven to be there for other people who were going through similar experience. I stepped into my leadership and wanted to be there for other victims of car accidents.

And I was after helping thousands of people across Ontario, I learned something bigger. Recovery is not enough. Imagine this piece of paper represents someone's life or mine with my perfectly manicured nails. Bam. An accident happens, you can try to restore it or reset, but as you see the creases, they remain just like pain, trauma, or grief. So, we started a not for-p profofit foundation where we prevent motor vehicle collisions, we reduce injuries, and we support those impacted. We work with families, first responders, and survivors with one mission only, to save lives.

Because 90% of car accidents, they're not because of bad luck. Nope. Not even because of bad weather. They are because of human error and choices and often choices of risk. How many times Have you seen the car when it speeds up, tries to get ahead of you, weaves through traffic, right? And then you find themselves right there next to you 60 seconds later on that same intersection. Awkward, right? To some of you, it might have happened on the way here. Some of you might have been that car.

Let me ask, how many people, and please be courageous, can admit that at least once in their lifetime, they broke a safety rule. Thank you. Didn't put a helmet on, drove past the speed limit, didn't put a seat belt on, right? We all have. I have, too. Now, raise your other hand if you're willing to do something differently, to make a different choice going forward. Thank you. Yes. Yes. Let's be real here. Thank you. Now put both of your hands on your heart.

Feel that? That's that heartbeat. And that's life. And not just your own, but of so many others who are waiting for you to come home. And many people who are waiting for their loved ones to come home. When you're on the road next time, ask yourself, will my choice create a heartbreak or prevent one? Road safety does not happen by accident. It happens through shared responsibility when each and every one of us make that safer choice. Thank you.

Transcript generated from the recording and lightly cleaned. Some names and wording may differ from the spoken speech.