Almost to the day, 9th April 1998. Twenty-Seven years ago, I was driving from Gisborne to Tauranga. It was the Thursday before Easter weekend that year.
I had been living in Scotland for the previous eight years. We had decided to move back to New Zealand to raise our family. We had bought a house in Tauranga and were waiting for the settlement date and for our container load of household goods to arrive. My partner had gone back overseas to work and I was catching up with friends and family, filling in time until move-in day.
It was just starting to get dark. My dear friend Karen was in a car in front, I was following with my beautiful daughter Leigh-Ann, then only 2 years old. It was getting close to dinner time. We had stopped at the gas station in Opotiki and made the decision to go into Whakatane to McDonalds and have a break. I can’t remember that stop.
Somewhere after Taneatua, on the open road, 100km/h, a car swerved onto the middle line in front of Karen. She remembers thinking, “that was close” …. That car kept coming over the middle line and when he reached me it was a head on collision. Karen looked in her rear vision mirror and my lights had gone. I don’t remember the impact.
She turned her car around and found the carnage. I was unconscious. Karen unbuckled Leigh-Ann and put her into her car then came back to me. She thought I was dead. I can’t imagine the terror she must have felt in that moment. She leaned in on the passenger seat, I lifted my head up and looked at her. It was the weirdest feeling. I thought I had just woken from a lovely peaceful sleep and was confused why Karen was there. This lasted probably only seconds, it was almost in slow motion. Then I realised what had happened. My first thought was Leigh-Ann and I looked into the back seat where she had been buckled up in her car seat, she was gone. I will never ever forget Karen saying, “she’s ok, she’s beautiful”
I can’t remember an awful lot after that. I do remember the noise of the cutting gear and generators. There were also the blinding lights that had been set up. I remember a face very close to mine. The face had a fireman’s helmet on and it was through where the windscreen should have been. I remember a paramedic leaning on the passenger seat where Karen had leaned, talking to me. I can’t remember the conversation.
The steering wheel was close to my face so I could just lean my head forward and have a little rest on the wheel. I was holding my right elbow with my left hand, just like casually folding my arms, but I could feel the graunch and grind if I tried to move. But I felt no pain. I may have been medicated, but I can’t remember. My feet were stuck in the foot well. I was completely trapped, I couldn’t move. I got cramp in my foot but by then they were able to open up the gap to relieve the pressure on my feet.
They cut the two front pillars and peeled back the roof. My seat was wound back and a back board was slid down my back. The gap between dash and seat was widened with some sort of loud machinery and they hauled me out. Two firemen stood on the back seat and I was pulled straight up, out of the seat, onto the board and into the ambulance. Just like that I was free. The pain I felt during that manoeuvre was indescribable. Give me childbirth any day!
Off to Whakatane hospital where I was x-rayed top to bottom. I was in a bit of a mess. Too much for them so I was transferred to Tauranga hospital to get put back together.
It turns out that the driver of the other car was drunk. He sustained a few injuries, broken ribs and broken hip. He eventually went to court and was given a 12 month suspended sentence and was suspended from driving for 12 months. This was his third drink driving offense. What does it take to keep these lunatics off the road, will he kill the next one he crashes into?
I sustained multiple fractures, some compound. My left pelvis was also fractured. I had deep cuts and bruises—bruises so severe, they’re hard to even describe. An imprint of the window winder was visible in the bruise pattern on my right thigh. After a few weeks a hematoma the size of a rugby ball developed in that spot. It’s hard to believe I didn’t sustain any internal injuries—just lucky, I guess. Since then, I’ve undergone several surgeries to remove various pieces of metal, including plates, screws, and wires. I have a jar full of them, tucked away in a box somewhere.
So that is the story of the accident. I got all patched up and sent on my way to live a long and healthy life. It was a five hour surgery, I was lucky to keep my arm. It was a long recovery with a month in hospital and another 5 weeks in a wheel chair. It was tricky to get mobile as I only had one limb in working order, that was my left arm. Have you ever tried to wipe your bum with you non-dominant hand? It is amazing what you can learn when you have to. Onto one crutch and then a walking stick. It took until October before I felt whole and able to go without home help etc.
Here I sit, 27 years later, almost to the day, just out of hospital following a triple Arthrodesis operation on my foot. That is a fusion of 3 joints in my ankle to us laymen. As a direct result of the accident, I have developed severe Post Traumatic Osteoarthritis. This has been causing more and more pain as the years go by. Fusing those joints will take away the pain. More screws and a plate – can’t wait to see the new x-ray! Apparently my foot was jammed on the brake at the time of the accident taking full impact and snapping my Talus in half. This tells us that I saw the accident happen and reacted – but I don’t remember. Isn’t it amazing how our brain can protect us from traumatic memories..
FYI my pelvis has never given me any trouble and other than plates and screws removal, my arm, though I have been left without full range of movement, has been almost fully functional from the get go. I am very lucky and thankful every day. I am especially thankful that my beautiful Leigh-Ann was not hurt.
They say 5 months recovery from this operation…. Hmmm lets try see if we can make it less! There is still an awful lot of world to see out there, people to meet and adventures to have. I won’t be idle for long!!
Kiwis Do Fly 