Vehicles were lined up at the car wash and BBQ fundraiser in support of North Bay’s Gerry Martin.
A constable with North Bay Police Services, Martin recently suffered a traumatic spinal cord injury at his home and remains in hospital in Sudbury.
See: Community coming together for injured police officer
“Gerry Martin is the kind of guy who walks into a room not knowing anybody and leaves with 20 best friends. He is the life of the party anywhere he goes, but at the same time, he is an honest, hardworking man,” said Constable Geoff Whittle.
“He is a fantastic police officer, a fantastic husband. For me, he has been a role model through policing and outside of policing as well in my life. Gerry is one of the best guys I know.”
The fundraiser was organized by the District of Nipissing Paramedic Services.
“The paramedic’s association has been fantastic. Steve Asselin contacted me last week and asked if we would want to participate with them in doing the fundraiser for Gerry. So absolutely we were on board,” said Whittle.
Martin faces a long road ahead.
“He is going to need a lot of support and a lot of help, and being a fellow first responder, we thought we would hold a car wash and raise some money for him,” said Asselin, a supervisor with the paramedic services.
“We deal with Gerry all the time on calls and he has been one of the police officers who has always been on our side and helped us out on calls as well.”
Police Chief Scott Tod expressed his thanks to the paramedic services for offering up their facilities for the fundraiser.
“It is wonderful to see the support for Gerry financially and the moral support he receives from his brothers and sisters in emergency services helping him out today,” said Tod.
“We don’t know what the future brings for Gerry and his family. There are some people who are assisting with it, but certainly, we believe there is going to be a lot of financial cost to the family as Gerry goes forward in regard to those injuries that he suffered. This is just one step in helping Gerry and his family move forward in their lives as Gerry recovers, and as he returns to the workplace.”
Martin’s sister Jan says her brother continues to make progress.
“He calls them ‘perfect days.’ I think just knowing that he is progressing really helps his mental attitude, as well as the rest of us in the family. Definitely, our Facebook group has provided a lot of support, so he is encouraged by a lot of the feedback he is receiving.”
Martin says they are all ensuring her brother is getting the best care possible.
“Once I heard about this fundraiser, I knew I had to at least be here to see it for myself. This is more than my expectations,” said Martin.
“His platoon that worked nights last night got off work at 7 this morning and they’re here to support him. The paramedics who he is very fond of are all here to support him as well. And the day after the incident, firefighters went to Gerry’s house to finish painting his high roof. So that was very touching and meaningful. I’m just overwhelmed by the community response.”
She says Gerry is in good spirits, focusing on his recovery one day at a time.
“His outcome at the time of discharge will determine whether he needs ramps or modifications. We just don’t know at this point.”
A GoFundMe page has also been set up to help the family.
"On July 6th, our good buddy Gerry “Dirt” Martin was putting the final touches on the house staining he and Leslie had been working on together," says the page. "Gerry fell to the ground from the ladder he was on and severely injured himself. He was airlifted to Sudbury General Hospital to be treated for his injuries. His current condition is that he will have full use of his upper body but the same cannot be said for his lower body. After a few days of being kept unconscious while his breathing stabilized, they have pulled the tubes from his throat that were helping him breathe."
Almost $46,000 has been raised in just 12 days.
Martin writes, "As I sit here in my hospital bed I’m wondering where I should begin...I really don’t know as there are so many things I have to say and want to say.
"First and foremost, I want to thank everyone for the outpouring of support and love and let you all know how much it means to me and my family.
"You may be aware that a few months back, the North Bay Police Service (NBPS) hired a new Chief/ Leader. I want everyone to know, North Bay is in good hands. Chief Scott Tod made himself available and was here offering his support to me and my family. As I was going into surgery, Chief Tod gave me the most important thing - he provided “reassurance” and as I’m learning, reassurance is a very important aspect of my recovery.
"Without going into great details, I broke some ribs, punctured a lung, broke a wrist and broke my back. Got some bruises too, lol.
"I am truly blessed with an amazing family, friends, coworkers and fellow professionals. Sometimes there is negativity in this world, but I can assure you that I have had nothing but positive and amazing care since last Saturday. The people in charge of my care have been consummate professionals and I cannot that them enough.
"I do not want to dwell on this incident, I want to focus on positivity moving forward and that can’t happen without recognizing some of the good stories that have come out of this: people working together and putting together resources - from the firefighters who finished painting our house to the magician who mowed my lawn with a mower that only I can start.
It is overwhelming the support my whole family has been shown. I am thankful and want everyone to know that at this time, I only truly need to have my immediate family and closest friends involved in this process and I wish to keep details of my progress private.
"I know first hand how satisfying and important giving back to our community can be. My involvement in NBPS’s various charities such as Cops for Cancer, ‘stache Bash and the annual NBPA golf tournament (I have directed our committee to work with After Hours Indigenous Sports Program) have all been rewarding experiences. I’m quite excited about this year’s golf tournament recipient and see it as a great opportunity to be more involved with indigenous youth and I know that our support will be appreciated.
"Because of those experiences, I recognize that the Go Fund Me account provides a way for people to reach out and offer their support and direct their sympathies and best wishes in to a positive action. I cannot express how much that support means to me. I am overwhelmed by the support. My family has always tried to give back to the community - my father was a war vet, my mother a nurse, my sister a social worker and my brother both a teacher and a war vet who served in Afghanistan.
"Moving forward it’s going to be all about POSITIVITY - lots of small steps forward on this road to recovery. I thank everyone for all their well wishes, prayers, thoughts and good vibes - they’re a great foundation to start this new journey from.
"Thank you."
