It’s been a long road to recovery for Ken Elliott.
The 65-year-old Calgary man was shot and paralyzed while on vacation in Barbados, leaving him confined to a wheelchair.
The incident happened in February, while Elliott, his wife, his brother and his sister-in-law, were staying at a vacation rental in Christ Church.
The Royal Barbados Police Force said two masked men stormed into the home in an attempted robbery.
After a short fight, Elliott was shot in the shoulder.
He would later find out that the bullet severed his spine, leaving him partially paralyzed.
“The surgeon approached me to say that there will never be a chance for me to walk again unless they come up with some sort of new science,” Elliott said.
After being treated in Florida, Elliott was airlifted to the Foothills Medical Centre in Calgary.
In total, Elliott says he spent 97 days in the hospital following the incident, during which time he struggled with accepting what had happened.
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”I couldn’t see the brightness,” Elliott said. “(I just) understood that life hadn’t ended.”
On Wednesday, he returned home. Elliott said knowing that he was returning to a familiar place has helped his mental health.
“I’ll be happier, and it really has had a demeanour change,” he said. “In a word, it’s wonderful.”
Thanks in part to a GoFundMe, Elliott’s family has retrofitted the house so he can be as independent as possible.
They’ve installed a pair of lifts so that he can access the upper level and backyard, along with a wheelchair-accessible bathroom.
Elliott said being home is one step to healing from the shooting but that he’s also closely watching the case as it unfolds in Barbados.
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