Wall Recovering After Hospitalization

Dave Wall was conspicuous by his absence at last week's Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame ceremony when Odies Fame was set to join her longtime driver among racing's elite. He's also likely to miss Wednesday's golf tournament fundraiser, something he started for horsemen in need more than two decades ago.

Last week, Wall was forced to miss the Hall Of Fame inductions while sitting in a hospital bed. One problem: no one, not even the doctors, knew why he was there.

In the days leading up to his hospitalization, driver Dave Wall had complained about a headache and felt tired, but that wasn’t enough to stop Dave from driving three horses at Dresden Raceway on Monday, August 1. The following day, Dave’s condition worsened.

When Dave collapsed, his wife Cheryl immediately thought of the worst. “I thought he was having a stroke, as he was delirious and not making much sense. I called (daughter) Dawn to come over to help me getting to the hospital in Strathroy,” said Cheryl from their family farm in Komoka, Ontario.

After admittance to Strathroy Middlesex General Hospital, the staff shared Cheryl’s suspicion that Dave was having a stroke. Dave was rushed by ambulance to University Hospital in London, Ontario where a team was waiting to receive Dave. After some testing it was discovered Dave had a severe brain infection: meningitis.

Meningitis affects the membranes surrounding the brain and spinal cord. Meningitis can be bacterial, viral or fungal infection. Symptoms of meningitis can include headache, neck pain, fever, dizziness and confusion. If left untreated, meningitis can, in extreme cases, be deadly.

After several difficult, tiring days in hospital Dave is now resting comfortably at home, says Cheryl. “He’ll make a full recovery after a few weeks of treatment.”

Dave’s release comes a day before the annual Walltyme Golf Tournament, started in 1992 as a fundraiser for the family of Gary Maguire who was killed in a car accident. Since then the fundraiser has helped many horsemen through times of grief, illness or other hardship. In an interview with Trot Magazine in 2012, Dave Wall refused to take responsibility for the more than $250,000 the charity has raised. Dave credits the horsemen who have donated the funds, claiming “There isn’t anyone [the horsepeople] don’t want to help.”

This is not the first time the driver branded as 'Mr. OSS' has been on stall rest. In April 2011, Wall broke both ankles in an accident at The Raceway at Western Fair. And in 2002, an accident at the London oval during qualifiers sent the critically injured driver to hospital. But each time, Wall has bounced back.

“The doctors were concerned about damage to his heart," said Cheryl. "but he has a good, strong heart.”

You’d be hard pressed to find a horse person in Ontario or perhaps Canada who would disagree with that.

(A Trot Insider Exclusive by Courtney Yake)