Posted by Gary Yeoh on November 12, 2013 at 12:36 PM
....you may get that unforgettable image. The light is just right and every little details fall into place.
In a split second, life may change irrevocably. In late July, we received a midnight phone call that all parents dread...our son was involved in a cycling accident and was unconscious in a hospital in France. He had gone to the French Alps to train in high altitude for the London triathlon. The weather was bright, clear and sunny, a perfect day for a bike ride. On a gentle downhill run, the rider in front fell causing him to be thrown over the handle bar resulting in polytrauma. He was unconscious and had to be air lifted to a regional trauma unit. In a split second, our family was thrown into an emotional roller coaster ride of despair, hope, worry, anger, denial and a whole hosts of other feelings. It has been more than 3 months since the accident and we can finally see the light at the end of this very dark and long tunnel. He will be discharged from the hospital at the end of this week. We are grateful for all the support and prayers from family, friends and colleagues throughout this very stressful time. In particular, I would like to thank Bill Fach and Ramamohan Pai for their support and understanding for my absence in the Flora Gallery these past months.
Apart from faith, having a hobby like photography has helped me relax and cope in times of stress. Just as an aside, my son is also a keen photographer. We had booked a photographic safari tour to Botswana and Victoria Falls with Vincent Grafhorst in September/October which had to be cancelled. We hope we are able to make it to Botswana in future.
Posted by Lorna Taylor on November 12, 2013 at 1:16 PM
Gary I can only imagine the stress and worry you and your family have had to deal with these last few months, but glad to hear he is on the mend and will be coming home. Best wishes and a hundred present recovery .
Posted by Barbara Graham on November 12, 2013 at 1:42 PM
Gary, I am so sorry to hear this but so glad he is recovering. I hope that the recovery continues for your son and for all of you.
Posted by Bruce King on November 12, 2013 at 3:27 PM
I had not heard of this Gary but I'm glad to hear he is recovering and will be home soon. Best wishes to you and your family.
Posted by Paul DeCesare on November 12, 2013 at 6:33 PM
I hadn't heard either but I echo Bruce's words. I'm sure this will be the longest three days of the journey (waiting for the discharge) but what a blessing it will be. Thank you for sharing this with us!
Posted by Mike Ramy on November 13, 2013 at 12:31 AM
Gary,
I am so sorry and know all to well what you have gone through with your son’s accident and I am very happy that he is on the road to recovery. I lost my son Scott on June 18th, 2008 two days after his 31st birthday. The tragedy is still hard for our family to deal with and accept but things seem to improve as time moves on. His birthday was right at Father’s Day and we had always celebrated the two occasions as one big family summer get together and each year that is still the hardest time for me. ‘In a Split Second’ your life can be changed as you said but, life goes on regardless and you have to believe that everything that happens, good and bad, has a purpose. I pray for a speedy recovery for your son and wish all the best for you and your family.
Mike Ramy
Years ago I had "the" phone call all parents fear the most. I am glad to hear that your son is finally coming home. May he recover fully. My thoughts are with you and your family.
Gary, so sorry to hear what your family has been experiencing these last months. Experiences like these sure can realign our priorities in a hurry. I am glad to hear though that you have had lots of great support from others, and a faith that has helped carry your family during this difficult time. Hopefully you and your son can soon get back to photography together and take that safari tour. My thoughts and prayers are with you and your family.
Posted by Gary Yeoh on November 13, 2013 at 4:42 PM
Lorna, Barbara, Bruce, Paul, Mike,Patricia and Carolyn
Thank you all for your wishes, prayers and support. Like Lorna (see recent posting), I am generally quite reserved and tends to keep things personal. That is why I had not posted this earlier Bruce and Paul. In any case, I did not have the energy nor the time to write this post or be able to cope with the barrage of communications earlier.
Mike - We are very to sorry to hear about your son, Scott. The void he left must be difficult to endure and would never be replaced. In the first week, we were not certain whether our son would come out of his coma so we know exactly what your family is experiencing.
Posted by scott lanz on November 15, 2013 at 11:03 AM
Sorry to hear this news, Gary, but I'm glad that the worst did not happen and that the bad is finally getting better. Best wishes to you and your family going forward.
Posted by Ken Smith on November 21, 2013 at 12:46 AM
Gary, ….you and your loved ones have been traveling through some very deep waters. Life is fragile. Glad that things are getting better.
Discussion
10 repliesIn a split second, life may change irrevocably. In late July, we received a midnight phone call that all parents dread...our son was involved in a cycling accident and was unconscious in a hospital in France. He had gone to the French Alps to train in high altitude for the London triathlon. The weather was bright, clear and sunny, a perfect day for a bike ride. On a gentle downhill run, the rider in front fell causing him to be thrown over the handle bar resulting in polytrauma. He was unconscious and had to be air lifted to a regional trauma unit. In a split second, our family was thrown into an emotional roller coaster ride of despair, hope, worry, anger, denial and a whole hosts of other feelings. It has been more than 3 months since the accident and we can finally see the light at the end of this very dark and long tunnel. He will be discharged from the hospital at the end of this week. We are grateful for all the support and prayers from family, friends and colleagues throughout this very stressful time. In particular, I would like to thank Bill Fach and Ramamohan Pai for their support and understanding for my absence in the Flora Gallery these past months.
Apart from faith, having a hobby like photography has helped me relax and cope in times of stress. Just as an aside, my son is also a keen photographer. We had booked a photographic safari tour to Botswana and Victoria Falls with Vincent Grafhorst in September/October which had to be cancelled. We hope we are able to make it to Botswana in future.
I am so sorry and know all to well what you have gone through with your son’s accident and I am very happy that he is on the road to recovery. I lost my son Scott on June 18th, 2008 two days after his 31st birthday. The tragedy is still hard for our family to deal with and accept but things seem to improve as time moves on. His birthday was right at Father’s Day and we had always celebrated the two occasions as one big family summer get together and each year that is still the hardest time for me. ‘In a Split Second’ your life can be changed as you said but, life goes on regardless and you have to believe that everything that happens, good and bad, has a purpose. I pray for a speedy recovery for your son and wish all the best for you and your family.
Mike Ramy
Thank you all for your wishes, prayers and support. Like Lorna (see recent posting), I am generally quite reserved and tends to keep things personal. That is why I had not posted this earlier Bruce and Paul. In any case, I did not have the energy nor the time to write this post or be able to cope with the barrage of communications earlier.
Mike - We are very to sorry to hear about your son, Scott. The void he left must be difficult to endure and would never be replaced. In the first week, we were not certain whether our son would come out of his coma so we know exactly what your family is experiencing.
Ken S