As summer turns to fall, O-week besties part, and classes become more than just harmless outings, one thing never changes: construction on and around the UofT campus. This season, Bloor St. has faced the brunt of the construction mayhem. Usually, this nuisance simply makes it harder for local speed walkers to put their overtaking skills to use, but a recent case shows the construction's more insidious effects.
After walking by the construction countless times on his way to class, Vic student James Adams woke up one day barely able to breathe. Adams was rushed to the emergency room, where doctors determined that frequent inhaling of construction dust had wrecked Adams’ lung capacity – rendering modern medical technology ineffective. With reluctance, doctors unveiled the only medical solution left to keep Adams breathing: the last functional iron lung machine in all of Ontario.
Doctors claimed that Adams was fortunate that an iron lung was available for use. “Obviously, a machine like this is quite expensive to maintain, and with no need for it in recent history, we were in the process of donating it to a local museum,” they explained. The Boundary visited Adams in his chamber, giving us some insight into his situation. “I’m doing alright,” he shared, “The machine is pretty vintage, so my girlfriend is calling it a ‘fit,” he said with a wheeze. Despite the still-frequent coughing, Adams appears in good shape and is expected to make a full recovery just in time for UofT’s next big construction project.