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Keith Richards said, “Music is a language that doesn’t speak in particular words. It speaks in emotions, and if it’s in the bones, it’s in the bones.”
And sometimes music is the only way to express your gratitude for a second chance.
Don Wismer and his wife of nearly 40 years, Bernice Wright, composed the song Second Chance to thank the staff and physicians at The Ottawa Hospital for saving his life.
Don was diagnosed with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CCL) in 2018. This type of cancer causes the body’s bone marrow to make too many lymphocytes (a kind of white blood cell) and severely weakens the immune system.
When Don got pneumonia in May 2022, he and Bernice were expecting to spend a few days at the Civic Campus of The Ottawa Hospital. But the day after he was admitted, his condition got worse—fast.
Don was taken to the ICU where he was sedated and put on a ventilator. After several days, he was transferred to the General Campus, where doctors described his condition as “tenuous.” He contracted sepsis, an infection of the bloodstream, and his entire body swelled up.
“Don was virtually unrecognizable at that point; he looked like the Michelin Man,” says Bernice.
He spent the next few weeks in the ICU, unconscious most of the time. It was a dark time for both of them.
![Don Wismer [left] and Bernice Wright [right] sitting on some steps](https://www.ottawahospital.on.ca/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/Don-and-Bernice-cropped-1024x683.jpg)
Thanks to the excellent care and expertise of his health-care team, after 45 days, Don opened his eyes.
“When I first woke up, I was like a newborn infant,” recalls Don. “I couldn’t feed myself. I was in diapers. I couldn’t even sit up. I had to learn everything from scratch.”
Despite the uncertainty of whether Don would pull through, they both remember special moments with hospital staff.
“In the ICU, a nurse sang Bernice’s favourite karaoke song, Sometimes When We Touch by Dan Hill, someone Don knew from high school,” she says. The nurse also made every attempt to get Don outside on the balcony.
Later on, while Don was receiving care in Internal Medicine, one of the people on the Environmental Services team brought him treats from the vending machine.
“He also brought me a newspaper every day because he knew there wasn’t much I could do from my hospital bed,” says Don.
Don had an especially tough time with having to stay indoors for so long. A lifelong outdoorsman, the 68-year-old and his wife enjoy biking, hiking, golfing, kayaking, and cross-country and downhill skiing.
In August 2022, Don was transferred to The Ottawa Hospital Rehabilitation Centre to continue his recovery, and music was a big part of it.
“Thanks to the terrific efforts of the occupational therapists and physiotherapists, Don was eventually able to stand up and play the harmonica and sing,” says Bernice with a smile. As part of his farewell to doctors, staff and patients, he played a sing-along in the recreation room. His set included Handle with Care and Heart of Gold.
Don’s recovery at home has been slow but steady. He beams as he explains that he was out skiing 20 times last winter.
“It’s hard to find words for people who saved your life,” says Don. “To the people who helped me recover to where I am now, thank you. I’m just so impressed by the kindness of people.”
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