Nearly three weeks after an unthinkable random act changed her life forever, 64-year-old Rozalia Meichl is still fighting.
She was pushed onto the CTrain tracks at Victoria Park Stampede Station on Nov. 8. While the oncoming train was able to stop before hitting her, Meichl suffered severe injuries that left her paraplegic.
Meichl has been in hospital ever since.
“She has such a love for life. This isn’t going to get her down,” said her daughter Charmaine Newman. “She’s been in physiotherapy every day. Her arms are getting stronger, her lungs are getting stronger.”
Through it all, Meichl hasn’t lost her will to laugh. Her humour is something she’s renowned for, according to family.
So tapping into her quick wit and love of laughter, Meichl’s grandson hatched a plan to help raise money for her care costs in the months and years to come.
“I’m not above stealing grandma’s jokes,” Juan Forno said.
He contacted Yuk Yuk’s on 18 Avenue S.E. to see if they would let him host a comedy show — the manager welcomed the idea with open arms.
“We have Chris Gordon headlining. He’s done numerous Just For Laughs, NBC’s Last Comic Standing,” Forno said.
The show is hitting the stage Thursday night and all of the proceeds will go directly to Meichl’s care costs.
And while she is still in hospital and won’t be able to make the show herself, Meichl has some exciting news of her own.
“Recently, her partner that was with her that day proposed to her in the hospital,” Newman said. “I think that’s given her more of a will to live than anything.”