Del Taylor’s
road to recovery

“I’m grateful to UHN because they gave me a great gift – the greatest gift – to be able to walk.”

Del Taylor was enjoying a sunny Caribbean beach vacation when he accidentally stepped on coral. He didn’t think much about the misstep until the next day, when his feet began to hurt.

Discomfort turned to pain over the next days. When he returned home, he sought medical care at his nearby hospital.

What seemed like a minor injury was quickly becoming severe. Harmful ocean bacteria had entered Del’s skin through small puncture wounds made by the coral, leaving him with a fast-growing infection.

Del lives with diabetes, putting him at greater risk of developing serious complications. He was diagnosed with sepsis, a life-threatening condition where the body overreacts to an infection.

“Del’s infections were quite severe, going all the way down to the bone in his feet and also spreading to his blood,” explains Dr. Steven Dilkas, physiatrist at UHN’s West Park Healthcare Centre.

Del faced devastating, life-changing news. To save his life, doctors would have to amputate his legs.

Healing begins at UHN’s West Park

Three weeks after surgery, Del was transferred to West Park with one goal in mind: to walk out on his own. His care team, including a physiotherapist, a prosthetist and Dr. Dilkas, created a specialized care plan to help Del reach his goal.

Less than two months after his amputation surgery, Del stood up on his new prosthetic legs for the first time. “I knew then and there, I will walk and, with hard work, I will eventually run again,” Del says.

It was a moment that moved Del’s wife, Karin Taylor, to tears. “I didn’t think there were miracles,” she says. “To me, that was an absolute miracle.”

Just six weeks after being admitted, Del reached his goal of walking out of West Park. Thanks to your enduring support, he already has his next big goal in mind: running marathons again.

“I lost both of my legs, but gained a whole new perspective, ability and an appreciation for everything,” he says.

With donor support, UHN’s West Park is helping patients get back to the lives they love.