'I was in a coma for about 45 days': UBC student graduates after near-fatal accident
A graduating student at UBC who nearly lost his life is setting out to help support those with traumatic brain injuries.
Yi Du will walk across the stage on Wednesday to wrap up his undergraduate degree—a journey that included a longboarding collision with a vehicle in the fall of 2021 that left him with brain injuries he says many thought he would never recover from.
"I was in a coma for about 45 days," said Du. "They had to help me breathe, so they had me connected to a ventilator."
Du, who was then 22 years old, says when he awoke, he faced an uphill battle. He suffered from a condition called left hemiparesis, which caused muscle weakness throughout his body, and he needed help walking.
The student spent the next few months trying to regain strength by undergoing an intensive rehabilitation program. Finally, after months of work, Du began seeing progress; he gained weight and gradually improved his walking.
In May 2022, Du said, he was discharged and began to set his eyes on the next semester in September, where he could continue his education.
Du returned to UBC in fall 2022 and continued with his academic success, despite his brain injuries.
"He performed well academically; he was an A+ student," said Dr. Lyndia Wu, an assistant professor at UBC.
Wu, whose research area is brain injury and concussion biomechanics, says before his accident, Du had been learning from her and was interested in pursuing similar research after graduation.
"I personally know that the prognosis from a severe brain injury is poor. This recovery is amazing. It's extraordinary," said Wu.
Wu says despite a year delay in receiving his diploma, Du's experience ignited a passion for seeking education that could one day help others.
The now-24-year-old plans to attend Stanford University this September and obtain a PhD in the hopes of developing technology to support those with traumatic brain injuries.
When CTV News asked Du what it was going to feel like when he walked across the stage on Wednesday, he smiled and quickly said he'll try not to fall.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Alice Munro, Nobel literature winner revered as short story master, dead at 92
Nobel laureate Alice Munro, the Canadian literary giant who became one of the world's most esteemed contemporary authors and one of history's most honoured short story writers, has died at age 92.
Latest updates on air quality alerts, and when the smoke may reach Ontario and Quebec
Wildfires have led Environment Canada to issue air quality advisories for parts of B.C., Alberta, Manitoba, Saskatchewan and the Northwest Territories, as forecasters warn the smoke could drift farther east.
Are these Canada's best restaurants? Annual top 100 list revealed
The annual list of Canada's top restaurants in the country was just released and here are the places that made the 2024 cut.
Attack on prison van in France kills 2 officers, inmate escapes
Armed assailants killed two French prison officers and seriously wounded three others in an attack on a convoy in Normandy on Tuesday and an inmate escaped, officials said.
Maximum payout for LifeLabs class-action drops from $150 estimate to $7.86
Canadian LifeLabs customers who filed an application for a class-action settlement began receiving their payments this week, though at a much lower amount than initially expected.
Steal a car, lose your driver's licence for 10 years under new Ontario proposal
Repeat car thieves may face lengthy licence bans under proposed changes to Ontario’s Highway Traffic Act.
$1.6B parts plant for Honda electric vehicle batteries coming to Niagara Region
A Japanese company has announced it will build an approximately $1.6-billion plant in Ontario's Niagara Region that will make a key electric vehicle battery component as part of Honda's supply chain in the province.
B.C. brings in law on name changes on day that child killer's new identity revealed
The BC NDP have tabled legislation aimed at stopping people who have committed certain heinous acts from changing their names.
Manitoba premier to visit areas impacted by wildfire
Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew will get a close-up look at the devastation from a large wildfire burning in northern Manitoba Tuesday.