Before my accident I was working as a technician for Telecom. I was renting a flat in the suburb of Melbourne and my only means of transport was a 1980 Harley Davidson Lowrider.
I was returning home from looking at land in Kinglake with my girlfriend when our accident happened. We were travelling on Plenty road when we were hit by a Cortina, which failed to stop at an intersection. My girlfriend died instantly. A local doctor revived me at the scene and cared for me until the first ambulance arrived. I was taken straight to Intensive Care at the Austin
Hospital.
That night my heart that was so bruised and tired started to arrest. At this time the doctors came out and asked my family if they would like to have a priest nearby. My father declined, by this time my entire immediate family was collected outside intensive care. My sister & brother-in-law led my family in prayer for me. I understand everyone prayed for me even though my sister and her husband were the only Christians, at that time. My father signed for the doctors to use a heart drug that was still being tested. They said it's a 50/50 chance if it would help - it did and I made it through the first night.
- I was in a coma and was respirator dependent.
I had a front left hemisphere brain haemorrhage, my rib put through my left lung, had aspirated my stomach contents into my right lung, broken clavicle, crushed elbow, split liver, ruptured spleen, crushed right ankle and assorted injuries.
On the second day in the operating theatre, the anaethetist when moving my head heard a "click". He said "hold everything". More x-rays were quickly taken and they then discovered I also had a C1 (hangman's) spinal fracture.
I remained in a coma for approximately two months. After the first two weeks of no change they moved me from I.C.U. into a room on my own in the neurosurgery ward. After 7 weeks I began to wake. I was being fed through a tube in my stomach, was
breathing through a tube in my neck; I was on a drip and my urine was collecting in a bag on the side of the bed. My short term memory was a real problem. I couldn't talk because my voice box was paralysed and I had difficulty seeing things because my eyes were knocked crooked so I saw everything as double, which added to my confusion. I had what resembled a large metal clamp with 2 screws screwed into my skull that led to a pulley with weights - to keep my spine in traction. I could open my mouth & blink but that's about it. Fortunately the only pain I could feel at that time was in my skull - which was all I could feel.
It was explained to me about how unique it was that I was still alive, due to my spinal fracture. (I was the 13th in the world in medical history - to have lived)
At first I was led to believe my girlfriend was ok and wasn't involved in the accident - but eventually it was explained to me that in fact my girlfriend was dead, but I should be really thrilled, because I wasn't (dead).
That was something I had difficulty understanding.
All I could feel was pain. I couldn't move. my bike was wrecked. My girlfriend was killed. I was given no prospect of recovery, yet I should really be "thrilled to be alive"!
I am now.. but then, no way!
My life was completely destroyed.
From the time when I was in I.C.U. with my heart failing, Jesus was there; and he gave me a chance. My life should have ended for any one of my injuries but it didn't. I spent 3 years of non stop work during my rehabilitation.
Jesus sent several people to me to assist me in my recovery. I don't know where to begin to explain the wonders and depth of God's love and the grace which he freely gave, and continues to give me.
And I wasn't even a Christian - yet!
-> One of my first nurses at Austin, was Kaye Daley. She was a student nurse and despite the news of my supposed infertility, was to become wife and mother to my three lovely children - Prue, Molly and Joshua.
-> As I was lying in the neurosurgery ward, one day a young Physio came upstairs looking for me. Her name was Marcella. She had heard of my condition and that one of my injuries was a spinal break, so she used her initiative to find me. After feeling my left forearm, she was the first person who seriously considered that recovery for me was possible. She had just transferred to the hospital and I became her first full time patient. Soon after I discharged myself from Austin, she transferred back home to
Queensland.
During the second year of my recovery I made friends with a bloke from the MRA (motorcycle riders ass'n) named Ben. Both he and his wife Vera also became friends with Kaye. Starting with Vera th
Get your free registration and log in to view entire article
Post new comment