EDITOR’S NOTE: A previous version of this story said the women were struck by a vehicle on April 20. The incident occurred on April 19.
A fun getaway for two young Prince Albert paramedics turned into an ordeal after they were struck by a vehicle in Las Vegas over the weekend.
Katrine Sinclair, 21, and Charlie Lastowsky, 22, were in Nevada to celebrate Sinclair’s 21st birthday. The two were ending Sinclair’s first night of birthday activities when they were struck by a vehicle while crossing a road on foot.
“It’s a mother’s worst nightmare,” said Roberta Sinclair, Katrine’s mother, during an interview from the women’s hospital room in Las Vegas.
Roberta said she was awoken at 3:30 a.m. on April 19 by a phone call from a Vegas police officer, informing her the women were hit by a vehicle and were being transported to hospital with serious injuries.
“You’re very disorientated trying to make sense of what’s happening,” she said of the feelings when she received the call. “Shock, dread, but then almost relief because you know they’re alive.”
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She quickly found out her daughter had a fractured pelvis in three places, a broken rib, a broken humerus, and several fractured vertebrae. Lastowsky had a broken wrist and elbow, and also some fractured vertebrae.
The situation was compounded by the fact Katrine Sinclair didn’t have traveller’s insurance, while Lastowsky had purchased partial insurance. Hospitalized in the American private health-care system, the pair have accumulated bills totalling more than $370,000.
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“Lesson to everyone travelling, get extra medical insurance,” Roberta Sinclair said.
Friends back in Saskatchewan have set up a GoFundMe to help with the women’s medical expenses. As of Thursday morning, the fundraiser had gathered more than $79,000.
Parkland Ambulance, where both women got jobs after graduating paramedic school together, is pulling together to support their colleagues in need.
“Our team has rallied behind them as much as we can,” said Lyle Karasiuk, director of public affairs. “We’re up here to support them and do what we can. We’ll be there for them with whatever we need to do to help them on the long road to recovery.”
Sinclair and Lastowsky have been inseparable, even since the incident. They’ve shared a hospital room, and with their own medical training are trying to motivate each other in recovery.
“I would say it helps tremendously,” Katrine Sinclair said from her hospital bed. “Just having a little bit of background knowledge, even though it’s not very much as paramedics … it’s nice to know and it definitely made our stay here easier.”
Both Sinclair and Lastowsky expressed gratitude for the support they’re getting, both in the hospital and from their home in Prince Albert.
“We’ve been so blessed, but we’re really hoping to get back to Canada soon,” Sinclair said.
The families are working on arranging for a medevac to bring the young women back to Saskatchewan. With their injuries, neither can sit up in an airplane seat.
Roberta Sinclair said the medevac charter will likely cost around $35,000, and they’re hoping to get the two back to Canada by the weekend.
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