Three years ago, the Humboldt Broncos bus crash would take the lives of 16 people, injure 13 others and change the lives of families, friends, and entire communities. Doctor Hassan Masri was a doctor on call that night. In a series of Twitter posts, he recounts the event:
Three years ago Saskatchewan was struck with the worst tragedy. A bus full of lives and dreams crashed. Lives were changed forever. I was the ICU doctor on call in what I would describe as the longest night of my career. I was a witness to the greatness of humans despite tragedy.
In an ICU room, I witnessed the greatness of Logan Boulet who registered to donate his organs shortly before the bus crash. I witnessed first-hand the generosity of Bernadine and Tony Boulet and the values they raised their kids to have. I saw the tears of others and felt mine.
Despite the tragedy that took his young life that night, Logan decides to save the lives of others and to inspire millions of Canadians. Logan will always be a role model to me and an example of what greatness, selflessness, and generosity looks like.
During that night I watched how the families of the victims would check on each other and how they would look out for each other. Selfless and caring doesn’t start to describe the greatness I saw despite the profound heartache that everyone felt.
Every bed in that ICU reminds of a person that was in it. Their names, faces and their family’s faces are engraved in my head forever. I could never forget that night and the urge to cry and to shed tears but was afraid that people would think that I was weak.
Inside the hospital, my fellow nurses, doctors, respiratory therapists, radiology technicians, phlebotomists stood in lines around the emergency department and the ICU to help in any way possible, everyone wanted to help in whatever way possible.
Outside of the hospital the province put their hockey sticks outside of their homes in solidarity with the families and the victims. The province stood strong, Humboldt Strong. The stories of kindness and love inside and outside of the hospital will always be on my mind.
The Humboldt Broncos bus crash was a story of how a horrible tragedy, mixed with beautiful solidarity lead to eventual stories of hope and inspiration, all in a unique Saskatchewanian way. My heart feels for the families today as those memories are replayed in all of our minds.
