Man at the centre of torture case tells his story

REGINA – The man at the centre of an alleged torture case says he can’t wait to get out of the hospital and get on a plane today in Regina to fly to Victoria where he will live with his mother.

The 26-year-old man has been in health-care facilities in Regina since April 16, when he was dropped off emaciated and with injuries to much of his body at the General Hospital.

He spent several weeks there before being transferred to the Wascana Rehabilitation Centre.

"It has been way too much healing for me," the man, who isn’t being named, said Sunday. "I just can’t wait to get out. I’ve been here for such a long time."

In the past four months, the man has gone from needing help with everyday tasks to being able to shave and eat on his own, speak clearly and walk with the help of a walker (so long as a nurse is present). He is also back up to a normal body weight as he nears 200 pounds.

His face is fuller now than it appeared in photos taken when he first arrived in hospital and the distant, glassy look in his eyes is gone.

"I’m healing quicker than everybody else would think," he said. "I just heal fast I guess. It’s motivation and hard work. They don’t ever have enough hard work for me to do. Maybe that’s because I used to be a workaholic."

Since word of his story started to spread through news reports and social media, support has poured in for the man who was reportedly down to 90 pounds when he was dumped at the hospital in April.

A Facebook group has drawn nearly 50,000 members and the man said he regularly receives cards and well-wishes from people he has never met.

"There’s a lot of people who are actually on my side," he said. "People send tons of cards. It does (surprise me). I’m so thankful for their help. I couldn’t have done it without their help. It’s so good to know there’s a whole bunch of people who are on my side."

The person accused of causing the injuries, Dustin Ward Paxton, was arrested Tuesday in Edmonton and appeared before a Calgary judge via closed-circuit TV on Friday.

Paxton is charged with aggravated assault, forcible confinement and sexual assault which are alleged to have happened in Calgary between Dec. 1, 2008, and March 2, 2010.

His next court appearance is scheduled for Friday.

The man would not go into detail about the attacks only to claim of Paxton, his former roommate: "He used to make sure he beat me up every single day."

It was, however, a relief to the man to hear that Paxton had been arrested.

"I didn’t get a wink of sleep because I sat there waiting to get a call for confirmation of whether they got him or not all night long," the man said.

Now the man plans to continue his recovery at his mother’s Victoria home. While there are no set timelines as to when he might start living more independently, the man is happy to at least be taking this first step.

"It’s all I hear is hospital care, hospital care," he said, noting he can’t wait to get back to working and eventually wants to start his own landscaping company.

That said, the man gave plenty of credit for his recovery to the medical staffs which have helped him along the way.

"The nurses here are just awesome," he said. "There’s this one who puts in all the extra effort all of the time – giving me haircuts and that stuff. She’s awesome."

As well, the man’s family has been a constant source of support. While none live in Regina, many have come from Manitoba and B.C. for visits. His stepfather was to arrive in Regina to accompany him on the flights to Victoria.

"They have been very important," he said. "They’ve been with me and stuck through this thing through the whole time, which blows my mind."

The man hopes his story might now help others who are forced to recover from trauma.

"You just have to work hard and give everything 100 per cent," he said.