A co-owner of a Regina restaurant and catering business is in hospital after a tragic fall over the weekend.
The namesake of Peg’s Kitchen, Peg Leippi, is currently in hospital after suffering life-changing injuries from a fall on the morning of Dec. 11.
However, what the family is also sharing following the incident is Leippi’s battles with mental health over the years.
Alyssa Leippi, who is Peg’s daughter-in-law, detailed how the business has undergone stresses in recent times, mainly from impacts caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
A financial blow to the business at Thanksgiving resulted in Peg’s mental health being affected even further, according to Alyssa.
She shared that Leippi attempted to end her life on Saturday.
“We’re just blessed that she is still alive and still with us,” added Alyssa.
A GoFundMe page was created by Alyssa on Monday to help raise funds for her road to recovery.
As of late Tuesday afternoon, the fundraiser had collected more than $31,000 out of its $150,000 goal.
“It’s beyond anything we could have ever imagined,” Alyssa said. “I know how much they value the community and now we get to see how much the community truly values them.”
The page shares how Peg suffered multiple injuries from the incident, including a broken clavicle, broken scapula, multiple fractures and broken vertebrae in her neck and back, bruised lungs, broken pelvis and massive trauma to her lower back.
Doctors say the trauma she suffered to her neck and back will “likely result in paralysis from her chest down.”
“She’s still in surgical ICU. There will be a little bit of touch and go over the next couple days, but she is in recovery,” shared Alyssa. “She has a long road ahead of her, but with all the support we are seeing, I know she will make it through.”
The family said one of their biggest goals now is to raise awareness regarding mental illness in the hopes they can help others who are facing similar challenges regarding mental health.
“If anyone’s ever met my mother-in-law or come into the business, you would never have expected her to have been struggling with mental illness. She was the happiest person to everybody,” Alyssa stated.
“For us as a family, we want to make sure no one goes through this and no one has to deal with what we are feeling right now. Know that if you are struggling, you are not alone.”
The GoFundMe webpage notes that Peg underwent emergency surgery on Saturday and she has at least one more surgery ahead of her soon.
Part of her recovery path will include physical recovery, rehabilitation and adapting to life in a wheelchair and new living arrangements.
If you or someone you know is in crisis and needs help, resources are available. In case of an emergency, please call 911 for immediate help.
For a directory of support services in your area, visit the Canadian Association for Suicide Prevention.
Learn more about how to help someone in crisis here.