Sask. woman in critical condition after 'rogue wave' incident on honeymoon in Mexico
A Saskatchewan woman is recovering in a hospital in Mexico during what was supposed to have been one of the happiest trips of her life.
Cory Moe, 26, was celebrating her honeymoon with her husband Dalton in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico when an incident landed her in the ICU at Hospital Joya.
Cory and Dalton Moe got married Dec. 30, 2021. (Courtesy: Brianne Fitzpatrick)
The couple, who got married in December 2021, held off their honeymoon due to travel restrictions and work commitments.
On Jan. 17, they decided to go boogie boarding on their third day in Mexico.
“A rogue wave is what took her in,” said Brianne Fitzpatrick, Moe’s older sister.
“It overturned her in the water, but we don’t know how exactly.”
Dalton pulled his wife out of the water and got her to shore, where two ICU nurses happened to be, also on vacation. They were able to stabilize Moe while they waited for emergency responders to come.
Moe is a registered nurse in Carnduff, Sask. Her mother, Brenda Fitzpatrick, said it is a blessing two other nurses were there when she needed them.
“There are angels everywhere,” Brenda said.
Moe suffered a cervical spine injury, according to Brianne. She was in critical condition and needed surgery on the vertebrae in her neck in order to relieve pressure placed on her spinal cord.
“It will be several weeks until we know the scale of this and really get a grasp of what recovery is going to look like,” Brianne said.
“Right now, we just know that she’s not stable enough to return home.”
Cory Moe walks along the beach in Mexico. (Courtesy: Brianne Fitzpatrick)
It could be up to six weeks before the swelling comes down around her spinal cord. Moe is five days post-op and currently hooked up to a ventilator in the ICU.
She cannot verbally communicate to her family due to the ventilator, but she was able to speak before her surgery.
“Before her surgery she said to her surgeon, ‘I believe in you. You have the knowledge, you have skills and I have faith in you,’” Brianne said.
“Even in her darkest and hardest hours through this she still remains to be just such a bright light for others and lifts everyone up.”
Brianne organized a GoFundMe campaign with a goal of $60,000 to help cover the costs of Moe’s hospital bills and recovery.
The couple had travel insurance, but Brianne said the fundraiser will address the challenges ahead in Moe’s recovery process. As of Wednesday morning, it had raised more than $40,000.
On top of the donations, the family said they have received an outpouring of messages, phone calls and support from members of “Team Cory”—friends, the community and complete strangers.
“It’s been completely overwhelming,” Brenda said.
“We can’t express how fortunate we are to live in such a tight community, and it is just a testament of what a beautiful soul she is that so many people are reaching out.”
Moe’s father and other sister have since flown down to Mexico to be with the couple. Brianne and Brenda are still home in Saskatchewan feeling “helpless, but still hopeful” as they anxiously wait by their phones for any updates.
The family said there have been some “promising signs” since the surgery. Moe has had some movement in her fingers and toes.
“It’s definitely not a recovery that’s going to be measured in hours or in days, maybe not even weeks,” Brianne said.
“It’s going to be a long, hard, uncertain road ahead.”
But it is a road of adversity that Moe has seen before.
Nearly 13 years ago, Moe was receiving treatment for scoliosis—an experience that inspired her to pursue nursing and also left her with the title of being the “toughest Fitzpatrick.”
“She endured a lot of pain with it. She’s small, but mighty. She’s 100 pounds dripping wet, but she’s the toughest of all of us,” Brenda said.
“She gives us all inspiration.”
The family said they are drawing on Moe’s mental and physical toughness to find hope in this challenging time.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
CRA no longer requiring 'bare trust' reporting in 2023 tax return
The Canada Revenue Agency announced Thursday it will not require 'bare trust' reporting from Canadians that it introduced for the 2024 tax season, just four days before the April 2 deadline.
NEW More unauthorized products for skin, sexual enhancement, recalled: Here are the recalls of this week
Health Canada and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency recalled various items this week, including torches, beef biltong and unauthorized products related to skin care and sexual enhancement.
Where is the worst place for allergy sufferers in Canada?
The spring allergy season has started early in many parts of Canada, with high levels of pollen in some cities already. Experts weigh in on which areas have it worse so far this season.
Do these exercises for core strength if you can't stomach doing planks
Planks are one of the most effective exercises for strengthening your midsection, as they target all of your major core muscles: the transverse abdominis, rectus abdominis, external obliques and internal obliques. Yet despite the popularity of various 10-minute plank challenges, planking is actually one of the most dreaded core exercises, according to many fitness experts.
Polar ice is melting and changing Earth's rotation. It's messing with time itself
One day in the next couple of years, everyone in the world will lose a second of their time. Exactly when that will happen is being influenced by humans, according to a new study, as melting polar ice alters the Earth’s rotation and changes time itself.
Grandparent scam: London, Ont., senior beats fraudsters not once, but twice
It was a typical Tuesday for Mabel Beharrell, 84, until she got the call that would turn her world upside down. Her teenaged grandson was in trouble and needed her help.
Sunshine list: These were the Ontario public sector's highest earners in 2023
Ontario released its annual sunshine list Thursday afternoon, noting that the largest year-over-year increases were in hospitals, municipalities, and post-secondary sectors.
NEW 'Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire': A crowd pleaser that turns it up to 11
Hot on the heels of last year's 'Godzilla Minus One' comes 'Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire,' the first ever Academy Award winner in the giant reptile's decades-long film career.
Deaths of 4 people on Sask. farm confirmed as murder-suicide
The deaths of four people on a farm near the Saskatchewan village of Neudorf have been confirmed a murder-suicide.