The Impact We Can Make

Jim MacDonald had never missed a day of work. Like for so many of us, work was more than just a paycheque.

It was meaningful. Enriching. It gave a sense of purpose and contributed significantly to his overall wellbeing.

Until one fateful day in the spring of 2023 when Jim, an appliance salesperson at a Dartmouth hardware store, went to move a heavy box. This was a routine task he’d done hundreds of times before but like the dryer that suddenly collapsed out of it, so too did Jim’s life change in an instant.

A hospital visit the next day revealed a shattered pelvis and torn rotator cuff.

Injuries in the workplace are unexpected, unpredictable and far too often, a shocking upheaval in a person’s daily life.

Jim MacDonald and Lena Thompson discussing Jim’s return to work journey.

Aside from the one certainty that he’d be off work for quite some time, Jim was full of questions.
That’s when he turned to WCB Nova Scotia.
“It was clear he didn’t know there were things I could do for him,” says Lena Thompson, a case manager for WCB recalling her first conversation with Jim.
“But I listened. And as he was telling me his story of what happened, I was able to pick things out and connect him with services I knew would benefit him specifically.”
Services like physiotherapy and home visits with an occupational therapist. Connecting Jim with helpful resources and letting him re-establish a daily routine. Things that may have been second nature before, like walking up a flight of stairs or stringing up Christmas lights, had now become an intrinsic part of his recovery.
But most important in Jim’s journey back to work was recognition from Lena of the hardship he had endured.
“Caseworkers need to make sure they start from the very beginning when they’re first connected to a worker, because it’s all new to them,” says Lena. “The process, the shock of the injury — everything. So, it’s important to keep that perspective when supporting someone in their return-to-work plan.”
Jim echoes Lena’s sentiment that the best service comes from treating people like people — and not a case number.
“I’ve been so lucky to come in contact with her,” says Jim. “She’s sympathetic to my situation and wants me to improve.”
Jim’s employer feels just as fortunate to have him on staff.
“Oh, they’ve been wonderful throughout this whole process,” says Jim’s wife, Linda. “They’ve been so supportive, calling every week to check in and see how he’s doing. I can’t say enough about them.”
Lena agrees with the crucial role employers play in the return-to-work journey.
“It’s clear he’s a valued member of their team and they make sure he knows that. There’s an obvious void with him not being there, so they’ve let him know that when he’s ready to come back to work, they’ll be ready too.”
With a successful shoulder surgery this past March, that return to the job site is closer than ever for Jim.
But as he awaits the green light from his doctors to begin picking up shifts at work again, there’s a more important milestone on the horizon.
“Our 50th wedding anniversary is in September,” and as Jim explains, he and Linda have always envisioned marking their golden anniversary abroad.
“Dancing along the River Seine. That’s the goal. And if we get to, we’ll send a picture to Lena from Paris,” Jim adds with sincerity.
Helping people recover from an injury is about far more than getting them back to the workplace.
It’s about helping them reach all life’s moments worth celebrating.