REGINA - A Winnipeg man who was tortured and dumped at a Regina hospital is said to be making slow but steady progress.
Dustin LaFortune was emaciated, burned and had parts of his tongue and lips cut off when he was left at the hospital in mid-April. His brother, Ryan, says Dustin likely won't make a 100 per cent recovery.
"After some surgeries -- and he'll need a lot of corrective surgeries -- he'll be able to walk and he'll be able to do all that maybe with a slight limp. He'll have some facial scarring and some things like that, but we're all more worried about the trauma and the mental acuity at this point," Ryan LaFortune said Sunday.
"Because he has an acquired brain injury, he could be a 100 per cent tomorrow or he could never be the same man again."
The LaFortune family says Dustin also appears to be suffering from retrograde amnesia -- a specific type of memory loss brought on by trauma and which wipes out recollections of the time leading up to the trauma.
"His memory comes and goes," said Ryan LaFortune.
"He remembers but not in order or not specifics. He has been interviewed by the police but the not being able to remember orders or specific (details) is I know a hindrance to investigations."
Regina police have not named any suspects or issued any arrest warrants, but continue to investigate the case.
Ryan LaFortune spoke before about 40 people held a peaceful walk Sunday from Regina police headquarters to the hospital to support Dustin. Some of the supporters came from as far away as British Columbia.
More than 44,000 people have also joined a Facebook group to show their support.
LaFortune said the support that has poured in from across the country is "heartwarming."
"It just goes show that people in our country don't stand for this kind of thing. This is not something that should happen in Canada," said LaFortune.
