True Story: My life, death and LIFE
True Story: My life, deathand LIFE
Before my accident I was working as a technician for Telecom. I was rentinga flat in the suburb of Melbourne and my only means of transport was a 1980Harley Davidson Lowrider.
I was returning home from looking at land in Kinglake with my girlfriendwhen our accident happened. We were travelling on Plenty road when we werehit by a Cortina, which failed to stop at an intersection. My girlfrienddied instantly. A local doctor revived me at the scene and cared for me untilthe first ambulance arrived. I was taken straight to Intensive Care at theAustin Hospital.
That night my heart that was so bruised and tired started to arrest. At thistime the doctors came out and asked my family if they would like to havea priest nearby. My father declined, by this time my entire immediate familywas collected outside intensive care. My sister & brother-in-law ledmy family in prayer for me. I understand everyone prayed for me even thoughmy sister and her husband were the only Christians, at that time. My fathersigned for the doctors to use a heart drug that was still being tested. Theysaid it’s a 50/50 chance if it would help – it did and I made it throughthe first night.
– I was in a coma and was respirator dependent.
I had a front left hemisphere brain haemorrhage, my rib put through my leftlung, had aspirated my stomach contents into my right lung, broken clavicle,crushed elbow, split liver, ruptured spleen, crushed right ankle and assortedinjuries.
On the second day in the operating theatre, the anaethetist when moving myhead heard a “click”. He said “hold everything”. More x-rays were quicklytaken 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 weeksof no change they moved me from I.C.U. into a room on my own in the neurosurgeryward. After 7 weeks I began to wake. I was being fed through a tube in mystomach, was breathing through a tube in my neck; I was on a drip and myurine was collecting in a bag on the side of the bed. My short term memorywas a real problem. I couldn’t talk because my voice box was paralysed andI had difficulty seeing things because my eyes were knocked crooked so Isaw everything as double, which added to my confusion. I had what resembleda large metal clamp with 2 screws screwed into my skull that led to a pulleywith 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 thattime 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, dueto 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 inthe accident – but eventually it was explained to me that in fact my girlfriendwas 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 girlfriendwas killed. I was given no prospect of recovery, yet I should really be “thrilledto 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 injuriesbut 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 knowwhere to begin to explain the wonders and depth of God’s love and the gracewhich 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 studentnurse and despite the news of my supposed infertility, was to become wifeand mother to my three lovely children – Prue, Molly and Joshua.
-> As I was lying in the neurosurgery ward, one day a young Physio cameupstairs looking for me. Her name was Marcella. She had heard of my conditionand that one of my injuries was a spinal break, so she used her initiativeto find me. After feeling my left forearm, she was the first person who seriouslyconsidered that recovery for me was possible. She had just transferred tothe hospital and I became her first full time patient. Soon after I dischargedmyself from Austin, she transferred back home to Queensland.
During the second year of my recovery I made friends with a bloke from theMRA (motorcycle riders ass’n) named Ben. Both he and his wife Vera also becamefriends with Kaye. Starting with Vera they each became Christians and beganattending St Hilary’s Church in Kew.
One day they conned me into accompanying them to a weekend church camp atHowqua. It was at a bush resort type place where everyone had their own roomor unit but we all ate together in the same dining room. We stayed in a caravanin the carpark. At different times they had people speaking and doing workshops’n stuff but mostly the band was playing and everyone was just praising theLord. I didn’t really get into that stuff so I went to the pub. The townshipof Mansfield wasn’t far away so Ben, Vera & Kaye came too. Because theycame with me, we couldn’t be away for too long so I was throwing back thebourbon’s as fast as I could. We parked outside the first hotel we saw. Whenit was time to go Kaye went to get the car and we started walking to meether.
After walking a bit I needed to relieve myself. We were outside another hotelat the time and I could see Kaye in the car, so I asked everyone to waitfor a sec. & I went in to go to the Men’s. I came straight out and lookedat where I last saw the car, but it wasn’t there. I looked around but I couldn’tsee it anywhere. There was a median strip providing parking for the shops,either side of the highway. I walked across to the median strip to get abetter view of the area – but no Kaye – no car or friends. Suddenly thisintense feeling of abandonment & loneliness hit me; just like my 1styear in hospital. I couldn’t believe it. I figured they all got miffed atme and decided to go back to the camp and let me find my own way.
I couldn’t see them anywhere so I decided to hitch hike home. Then I thoughtno way!, they’re in my car. I’ll hitch hike to the camp, drive mycar home and leave them stranded. So I started walking. I had only passeda few parked cars when Kaye called out to me. – I had just walked past myown car ! They thought I had gone in for another drink and so had parkednearby. I was livid – but I later calmed down.
The next day we attended a talk given by bloke named Rupert Charkam. He isa Jew who is now a strong Christian. I wasn’t really listening to him butat the end there were people going forward and being prayed for ‘n stuff.I saw Kaye go up to talk to Rupert.
The next thing I knew I was standing, I felt like I wanted to cry. It felt..weird. I went forward to talk to Rob Carter. (he was assistant minister atSt Hilary’s) and all these people came out of nowhere – praying for me. Robgave me a choice and I accepted Jesus as my Saviour. Kaye hadasked Rupert to pray for me.
Jesus softened my heart and continues to bless me and my family. I have continuedto improve both physically & mentally – only more slowly. I feel justso grateful. At last I had found what was missing in my life. God, the LordJesus Christ.
I found smoking dope works like an analgesic to the brain, it clouds overproblems – sure. But it also shuts out God!
Rob Carter asked me, “Do you reject God?”. I said, “Oh no, I wouldn’t dothat”. That’s when it dawned on me, and the question was raised in my mind:why then if I could acknowledge him – why then don’t I grab hold of him withboth hands ?
Imagine that – grabbing hold of God. Having your own 1 to 1 personal relationshipwith him. That thought alone blows me away. That is more than possible. Itswhat God wants – but he wants you to decide.. I justhad.
I feel motivated to praise the lord at every opportunity and I feel peaceand satisfaction from his presence in my life. I also feel a great or urgentneed to try to explain to others who don’t know Jesus, that he is real– he is God and he is here with us today and only wantsus to receive his love and healing.
Through prayer, fellowship with other Christians, reading the bible and wholeheartedly praising the Lord I have learnt to communicate with and receivelove and guidance from Jesus. You too can receive his love, healing andSalvation. He will never ever let you down or leave you alone. Heis Love.
God paid for our salvation through Jesus Christ who was killed on the crossand who rose again.
He is the Lamb of God, who is described in Rev 13: verse 8 “allinhabitants of the earth will worship the beast- all whose names have notbeen written in the Lamb’s book of life”.
You are already accepted and loved by Jesus. All youhave to do to receive his love is to ask. Ask for forgiveness andaccept him as your own personal Saviour. Jesus will not onlyforgive you, He will give you eternal life. The oldyou will die but you will live on because you have been forgiven and bornagain of spirit. Your name will be entered in the Lambs book of life.