Strength in storytelling

As a writer and independent filmmaker Jason Gray knows how to tell a powerful story. But the most compelling and perhaps unexpected story he’s sharing is one that’s not yet finished - his own.

Jason’s story didn’t begin in a hospital room but it’s there he took pen in hand and began to write it. In 2018, the 35-year-old experienced a severe reaction to a medication prescribed for his multiple sclerosis, which landed him in hospital with significant swelling to the frontal lobe of his brain. 

As a result, Jason experienced sweeping personality changes – a known and usually temporary side effect of brain trauma. He also suddenly lost the function of his legs. 

“You know that instinctual knowing of how to walk that you develop as a child?” Jason says as he pulls the memory to mind. “One minute it was there and the next, completely gone.”

In time, the brain inflammation subsided and Jason’s prognosis took a turn for the better. He attributes that positive change to the excellent care he received, but also to his decision to start writing about his experience. The creative outlet, he says, “saved my brain – and my life.”

After two months of acute care, Jason was transferred to the Acquired Brain Injury Program of St. Joseph’s Health Care London (St. Joseph’s) located at Parkwood Institute. There, he began a rigorous 90-day rehabilitation schedule working with a highly skilled team of care providers to restore and rebuild pathways in his brain.

"In some ways, I feel as passionate about being a care partner as I do filmmaking." - Jason Gray

Throughout, Jason continued to write.  

“It was kind of like summer camp,” he says with a laugh. “The nurses would come with a schedule of my therapies for the week, and on weekends I would write my book.”

In the spirit of positivity, the local filmmaker so easily embodies, and to make the most of his rehabilitation experience, Jason decided he would say ‘yes’ to every opportunity that came his way. So, when asked if he was interested in support from a spiritual care provider he agreed, despite having no spiritual affiliations.  

That ‘yes’ provided an unexpected moment of healing for Jason. One day, during a walk on the grounds with his spiritual care provider, he found himself in the exact spot he had filmed the opening of one of his films several years prior.

The shots were of a wheelchair, much like the one Jason now found himself in. The unexpected irony of his circumstances and the support of his spiritual care provider in that moment moved him to tears.  

“I guess there was stuff I was holding on to, and she was such an empathetic listener that I felt everything rush out of me.”

After his inpatient stay, Jason continued to receive care through weekly appointments with Parkwood Institute’s outpatient rehab team. One of those appointments was with physiotherapist Stephanie Cornell, who noticed Jason’s knack for storytelling extended beyond his writing.

“I loved his take on things and the way he described them,” says Stephanie. “He really enriched my perspective of what it’s like for someone going through rehab.”

Jason Gray visits the rehab gym located at St. Joseph's Health Care London's Parkwood Institute every Friday for a five-kilometre ride on the functional electrical stimulation bike.

Stephanie asked if Jason would be willing to share his experience as part of a quality improvement project aimed at developing education resources for rehab patients. This was an especially easy ‘yes’ for Jason who says he “loves people and loves to talk.”  

It would be Jason’s first introduction to care partnership at St. Joseph’s and the beginning of his journey as a care partner.
 
Today, Jason is no longer an outpatient but continues to visit the rehab gym every Friday for a five-kilometre ride on the functional electrical stimulation bike. He also remains an active care partner, using his voice and story to impact others.  

“In some ways, I feel as passionate about being a care partner as I do filmmaking,” he says.  

Earlier this year, Jason helped deliver a presentation on trauma-informed care at Parkwood Institute Research Day and, most recently, he was asked to join a committee that is guiding the development of education for spiritual care students at St. Joseph’s. It was yet another instant ‘yes’ for Jason based on his own spiritual care experience.  

Outside of his role as a care partner, Jason says he continues to do what he loves – writing and planning his next film – and finds beauty in each day.  

“To have any experience,” he says, “is a gift.”
 

What is a Care Partner?

“Care partner” is a term for any person who is or has recently been a patient or resident, family member, loved one, care provider or friend for a patient or resident. Care partners share their experience and knowledge about their unique care journey collaboratively with St. Joseph’s to impact policy and procedures, quality improvement, direct care, and other work underway across the organization.