‘I never want to witness anything like that again’ Doctor who helped save nurse from knife-wielding suspect reflects on brutal attack at Seven Oaks hospital By: Chris Kitching Posted: 7:00 PM CST Friday, Feb. 25, 2022 Last Modified: 11:59 AM CST Saturday, Feb. 26, 2022 Updates

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Rarely a day goes by when Dr. Ken Hahlweg doesn’t think about a colleague who was attacked at Seven Oaks General Hospital almost four months ago.

Every time he’s at work, he passes the spot where the nurse was stabbed — and where he and others made a dramatic intervention.

Hahlweg stopped the horrific assault on Oct. 27 by tackling the knife-wielding suspect and chasing him outside, where he was arrested by Winnipeg police.

With the suspect gone, staff inside the Garden City-area hospital were able to provide first aid to nursing supervisor Candyce Szkwarek, who was stabbed in the neck and abdomen.

“It was a real collective effort that saved her life,” said Hahlweg, who was hailed a hero and received a bravery award from Doctors Manitoba.

Police allege the suspect launched the attack after murdering his divorced parents at their homes in New Bothwell and Winnipeg.

In a recent interview with the Free Press, Hahlweg reflected on the events of that afternoon, how he coped with his own trauma and his hopes for the victim and suspect.

“I wonder about the victim a lot. This woman is very well loved,” said the family physician, site medical lead at Northern Connection Medical Centre. “I’m sure her trauma was substantially more than what mine was. I never want to witness anything like that again.”

Working at the hospital that day, he happened upon the incident as it unfolded in the main-entrance atrium of the hospital at McPhillips Street and Leila Avenue.

Hearing screams and seeing the attack, he ran and launched his body into the suspect, knocking him off the victim. The man, still carrying a large knife, ran out the front doors as Hahlweg gave chase.

As the suspect dropped the knife and was taken into custody, Hahlweg went back inside to check on the victim.

His involvement lasted less than a minute, and he summed it up as doing what needed to be done.

Members of Szkwarek’s family thanked him in the days after the attack while she was in intensive care.

“They could have very easily lost their mother,” he said. “It would have been horrendous for the family.”

Hahlweg hasn’t spoken to Szkwarek, who continues to recover from her injuries. He’d like to meet her if and when the time is right.

“If she felt that would be important for her healing, then absolutely,” he said.

Hahlweg, who describes himself as a “fairly resilient” person, is used to helping his patients through personal struggles or trauma.

After the attack, he had to deal with his own. He returned to work the next day for an incident debriefing, but found he wasn’t as efficient doing routine tasks.

“I realized how foolish (returning the next day) was because I really couldn’t function the way I normally do.” – Dr. Ken Hahlweg

“I realized how foolish (returning the next day) was because I really couldn’t function the way I normally do,” said Hahlweg.

He took a few days to rest and take care of himself. He used counselling services offered through Doctors Manitoba, an association which represents more than 4,000 physicians and medical learners in the province.

He found it was helpful to talk about the incident with others “so it doesn’t eat away inside you.”

Szkwarek “continues to progress in her recovery,” a spokeswoman for the Winnipeg Regional Health Authority said.

“Our thoughts remain with her and her family,” the spokeswoman said. “The attack on a staff member at Seven Oaks General Hospital last fall was an unpredictable, indiscriminate and very sudden act of violence that shocked us all.”

In response to the stabbing, the WRHA increased security at its sites to protect employees, patients and visitors. Safety measures include extra security staff and securing areas with ID card access.

“The violence experienced by staff at Seven Oaks hospital last October is something that we never want to see happen again.” – Union president Darlene Jackson.

Hahlweg said Seven Oaks hospital supported staff, as they reflected on their safety at work.

“There was a heightened awareness of everybody in terms of risks we carry every day,” he said.

The Manitoba Nurses Union has continued to call for security improvements at health-care sites.

“The violence experienced by staff at Seven Oaks hospital last October is something that we never want to see happen again,” said union president Darlene Jackson. “As we have stated often, it is of vital importance that all health-care workers in our province are able to return safely to their families after a day’s work or shift.”

Trevor Farley, 38, who was working as a registered nurse at the hospital, is charged with attempted murder in the attack on Szkwarek.

He is also charged with first-degree murder in the death of his mother, Judy Swain, 73, and second-degree murder in the death of his father, Stuart Farley, 73.

RCMP found Swain’s body during a well-being check at her farm in New Bothwell about an hour before the stabbing about 70 kilometres away.

That evening, Stuart Farley was found dead at his home in the 300 block of Toronto Street in Winnipeg’s West End.

Trevor Farley has made just one appearance before a judge since his arrest. The substance of the hearing cannot be disclosed under terms of a publication ban requested by his lawyer, Evan Roitenberg.

Farley remains in custody and has not applied for bail. His next court date is Feb. 28.

Hahlweg said he hopes the suspect receives any support he may need.

“Hopefully, the system is looking at this very carefully,” he said. “I hope the justice system acts accordingly with compassion.”

— with files from Dean Pritchard

chris.kitching@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @chriskitching