Teacher, Hipster and Radio Host
By Concordia Connection Staff Writer
Tom Dercola, to some, is a school teacher, a giver of the heart, and to most, a radio host at CJNU, bringing those classic hits back with a smile that never fades. But one day in the Fall of 2023, everything changed. He also calls himself a ‘hipster’ after taking a fall downtown Winnipeg last fall.
“I was going out to run some errands and lost my footing on the sidewalk downtown, and took a tumble. At first, I thought it was a nasty bruise and continued with my day.”
Little did Tom know he had fractured his hip.
“In the morning, I couldn’t move. I called the paramedics as I knew something was wrong. After arriving by ambulance, two lovely nurses were able to help escort me to a room at Concordia Hospital. Dr. Woodmass examined me and told me the news of my broken hip. After talking, we devised a game plan to get me back on my feet.”
“The next thing I knew, I was in the recovery room with no recollection of the surgery happening. I was fortunate enough to talk with so many staff as my stay at “Hotel Concordia” continued for ten more days. Something that stood out during my stay was the passion for caring that all the staff at Concordia had.”
“After surgery, I needed to go to physiotherapy, which was quite interesting. My first goal was to be able to walk again. This was hard as my body was not entirely happy with walking. As much as I disliked physiotherapy, I thank everyone there who helped and encouraged me to get back on my feet, even if staying in bed was the easier option.”
After surgery, Tom continues to be a light in the Winnipeg and radio community. He and CJNU have donated radios to Concordia Hospital to help dementia patients stay more calm.
For some people with dementia, music has been shown to improve their thinking, feeling, perception, mood and behavior. Music and art enrich the lives of people and allow for self-expression and engagement. OF course, the radios are tuned to CJNU at 93.7 and people can continue to hear the dulcet tones from Tom and his colleagues on the air.
