TORONTO (CP) — It was 18 Friday morning on’ ‘ihe eve: eof. :
as Una:

Thanksgiving weekend. in October, 1978,
Abrahamson hurried across agToropto street to eatch | a bus
to work.

She never arrived at her
which had run a red light and her almost lifeless, mangled
body was rushed to a nearby hospital. se

For days the-mother of daughter Hilary and son John
hovered near death. As she slipped in-and out of a coma,

doctors worked to repairher broken bones, ‘stop the internal
bleeding and prevent, her from : dying or | becoming.” a.

vegetable. .

Abrahamson’ was one of Canada’ 's foremost | consumer *
-writers. She wrote a ‘monthly column for Chatelaine.
magazine during-the 1960s and early '70s and was the author
of three baoks dealing with antiques and collectibies and

entertaining in Canada. -

Her hospital room: was constantly overflowing with -

flowers, cards and candies, noné of which she could enjoy

because she. slipped: into a deep coma which lasted for

nearly a year,

One wouldn't have thought then’ that this brilliant and a

witty woman.in her 60s would. survive;
ASTONISHED BY CALL

But ane recent afternoon the telephone rang in my ofice. .

To my utter astonishment, I heard a voice say: “dudy, this
is Una Abrahamson.”

Part. of Abrahamson's injuries. included. the loss of .-

speech, “bul now she’ sounded like her old self.

After almost five years-in four Toronto hospitals,

Abrahamson had returned home six weeks earlier.
Elated, I made a-date to visit the next day,
Abrahamson’s home’ of 25 years is a custom- -designed,

* half-Split ‘bungalow in a'quiet north. Toronto cul-de-sac

surrounded by blossoming frult trees and a beautifully,
landscaped garden.

It's interior holds some of her prized possessions —
Can dian antique furniture and collectibles and tundreds of
books. ;

LIFTS ON STAIRS . ; a

About the only. obvious change from pre-ancident days

are the whee] chairs on each level and elevator: lift Seats on

- the stairs.

On the day I visited, Abraliamson was in bed after:

slipping from her wheelchair in the driveway a few days
earlier.
Her memory is returning slowly, but the events of that

ailtumn morning are vivid. She says she can still feel the

- impact of the car.
She is bilter that the. driver wae $ charged, bul g got off with

a ‘reprimand becayse of a legal ,tectinicality. However, —
Abrahamson did-win a civil suit to cover the enormous cosl - |f

of her disabilities —an amount she doesn't care to disclose.
’"T wished they had punished. him. (the driver), bul I'm

also prepared to forgive him,’ ‘she Bays.

‘AWARE' OF DYING -

During those first. weeks as.she, slipped In and out: of |

consciousness, she knew shé was close to death — —in fact al
one pointsshe was “aware of it” 6
But her desire to live was paraniouit. :

; As yel she can’t walk but she attends.therapy sessiong *

. - three times a week. She also takes: horseback riding
therapy al the stables: of: the Community Association: for
Riding for the Disabled.

Tt's strange somehow Lo be riding again —] rode a long.

lime ago in England but: this type- of therapy I find is
slrengthening my limbs.” .

An excellent cook, Abrahamson was.a popular ostess
and plans to entertain again, saylng with a wicked glint i in
her eye; ‘I’m thinking up things my friends can do to help.”

Daughter Hilary, 31, has been her mother’ 3 greatest

Role important

destination. She’ was hit bya car

A ‘common
substance,.- tryptophan, ny

have an important role in -

reducing aggressive and

manic behavior that occurs,

‘in some forms of mental
illness, suggeata research
by a group of doctors at
Montreal's McGill
University,

Tryptophan is an 1 amino
‘ geid, one of the building
blocks of protein. It also

serves as the precursor or -

basis for’ an important
nervous system * chemical
called serotenin,. which
hfluences mood and sleep.

Protein-rich foods such as
dairy producis; meat and
fish, provide an, abundance
_ of tryptophan...’

Animal research has
shown that decreasing the

amount of (typlophane in the

- Dr. Guy - Chouinard,

diet leads to an increase of

aggressiveness,

‘ Noting this,.Dr. Simon:
Young and co-workers
‘decided to study the effects
of sharply — increasing
tryptophan In the diet of
schizophrenics with a

history of violent, behavior.
When 12 ‘schizoplirenics

were, given ‘four ‘to ‘#ight
grafiis of tryptophan daily’,
— compared with ihe one ta

1% grams that the typical

~ person gets in his daily diet :'
—half the patients showed a

decriase in aggressive
behavior, without unwanted

“side effects.
‘In ariother study carried

out at McGill by Young and
12:
gram daily doses. -

‘in manic-
depressive patients,

tt Fede RIE”

of
- tryptophan’ helped control
behavior -

"supporter biit n naw w Abrahanison says ic’ 8 slime. elo let! tier get.--
on with her. life and. purstie her . career as a _ food |

commodities ‘trader, 7

- At the time of her secident, Abrahamson + was egngumer 7

affairs. directoh for Dominion Siores Ltd... wt,
. She plans to'retuyn to writing and alréady hi hag raven up
an outliné for another ‘book on’ antiques. ~

“And I'm determined to'walk again,” she Says. oy 8 the:

pat hallenge thal keeps m me going.” es

transients looking for ta BN De te
BUILT OWN HOUSE .. a ae

All are welcome’ at the modest house lie Baileys: built:
“from gerap wood 20 years ago. |...

“we do It to make good Christian. citizens ‘aut of these .-*
fellows,” says Mr. Bhiley, a tall, gaunt man of- 76, Whe has

undergone two cancer operations. tie

“Once you:gel them trusting ya; you don’ t have to invite

them, they just come.” -.--

The Baileys came north from Manitoba’ 35 years Bago to-
dedicate their lives, as they, pul it, 10 the well: rbeing of the’
North’s native: peoples.

on They settled first in Fort Resolution on the souith ahote of

Great Slave.Lake,: then moved: to Nellowknife on. the north
shore, five years. later: -

How successful ; they : have * been in “converting” their
charges to Christianity may be @ question. ~

Some occasionally pass out in the back pews during, the

~ service, Je :
“We leave: them: to sleep ana hope they lek the door oF on

ihe way’ oul,””. Mrs. Bailey. says.
HAVE SPECIAL PLACE * : ;
In any case, the. Baileys. have ‘secured. a ‘place i in ‘the |

hearts of many - Yellowknife ‘residents: and. perhaps in ©

heaven... .

‘Id they don't get eternal life after death, I'm going up to _ a
heaveri and make God let them-in,”* said a regular Builey

_ Buest, Bob Reid, at the award, ceremony.

to go to Arctic House to fill ‘out a bunch ‘of: questio

oS ‘other. fora place’ io'lay ‘his head." -

: provide 14, hostel beds al no charge — 10:mo1

One ot @ reasons tne Baileys et in
hat they, have Kept their “door per. when ‘olhi

M : y: : : ae
‘disgualed". “with. ‘the’ new rules." ee eles
“A guy arrives penniless In town’ ‘and thé poo guy, heh

"It might! be 30 below ‘and he’s going from one place

to

To maintain their open house, the Baileys depend ‘on cal

Even now a. shelter. for women is needed.”
_“[ don’t mind taking in a married couple bul wé can
take single girls with so many men here,"’ Mrs. Bailey 8a

Y¥WCA TO HELP .,
Some rellef is on (he way. The ‘yweA vias

“government. funds are approved: .
‘The Baileys admit their way of life is a ‘rial al Linies.-
-One night a man ‘went berserk oulside the house..

“Suddenly the door crashed down and in he.came wi

‘half a case of beer and everybody s ‘seattered like a bunch
frighteed. rabbits,” Mrs. Bailey says.
* "He took a Knife from the kitchen and was mumbling -
,abput what he was going todo;-

. “Then suddenly the fear left me and I went up to him andl
* said, ‘Give me that knife," and. he did. © : and
me sure as heck: was  thankf

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