This will be a long one, I'll try and condense as much as possible. I guess you could title it "what happened on our summer vacation". On 7/17/08
Joanne and I left, with 4 other couples, all on bikes, for a long planned motorcycle camping trip to Quebec, Canada. We were all pulling our trailers loaded
down with camping gear. After crossing the border at Derby Line, VT. our first stop was Granby, Quebec where we planned to camp for 2 days before heading to
Quebec City for 2 more days before heading home. We visited the Granby Zoo, the largest zoo in Canada and IMO more impressive than the National Zoo in D.C.
There is also a water park, rides, resturants and other activities on the huge expanse of the Zoo/Park. I highly recommend it if your ever up that way.
On the second night about 12 midnight after we had just fallen asleep, several of our friends woke us telling us we needed to wake as there was an emergency. Have just experienced a major thuderstorm my first thought was the park was being evacuated or something on that line. If only that was it. They had just received a patched through call for us. The call all parents dread. My son Richie had been in a terrible automobile accident and we needed to contact the hospital he had been taken to. We were both shaken to our cores. I managaed to contact the hospital and spoke with the doctor that was treating him in the emergency room. Just as I got through she informed me that as we spoke they were loading him onto a life flight helicopter to transport him to a larger hospital that was better equipped to handle trama cases such as his. She told me she had spoken with him (though he remembers nothing until he woke in the trama room of the larger hosp.), that he appeared to have a broken arm, a very large gash on his head, possibly some broken ribs and possible internal injuries. Needless to say that was one on the worst nights of our lives. I did my best to grab what little sleep I could to prepare for breaking camp early next morning and leaving for the 5hr. ride back home. A very long ride indeed, alone with our thoughts and praying all the way.
As it turned out Richie sustained a dislocated shoulder, two cracked ribs, a bruised lung, a very large gash on his head and numerous bumps, bruises and cuts. He was driving our 2007 Subaru Forester. We thank God for all the safety fetures in that car. I don't think he would have made it had he been driving his 98 Jetta. It was truly a miracle he survived and with so few serious injuries. You need only look at the attached pictures, I'm sure you'll agree. He's home now and on the mend.
I hope this never happens to any of you folks out there with children. Being so far away, not knowing how seriously hurt he was and feeling so helpless was the worst man, the worst.
Rich
The first five pictures: Any one looking to by a used Subaru cheap?
#6: The site that greeted us at Central Maine Medical Center on our return.
#7: The day before he was discharged, looking better already.
On the second night about 12 midnight after we had just fallen asleep, several of our friends woke us telling us we needed to wake as there was an emergency. Have just experienced a major thuderstorm my first thought was the park was being evacuated or something on that line. If only that was it. They had just received a patched through call for us. The call all parents dread. My son Richie had been in a terrible automobile accident and we needed to contact the hospital he had been taken to. We were both shaken to our cores. I managaed to contact the hospital and spoke with the doctor that was treating him in the emergency room. Just as I got through she informed me that as we spoke they were loading him onto a life flight helicopter to transport him to a larger hospital that was better equipped to handle trama cases such as his. She told me she had spoken with him (though he remembers nothing until he woke in the trama room of the larger hosp.), that he appeared to have a broken arm, a very large gash on his head, possibly some broken ribs and possible internal injuries. Needless to say that was one on the worst nights of our lives. I did my best to grab what little sleep I could to prepare for breaking camp early next morning and leaving for the 5hr. ride back home. A very long ride indeed, alone with our thoughts and praying all the way.
As it turned out Richie sustained a dislocated shoulder, two cracked ribs, a bruised lung, a very large gash on his head and numerous bumps, bruises and cuts. He was driving our 2007 Subaru Forester. We thank God for all the safety fetures in that car. I don't think he would have made it had he been driving his 98 Jetta. It was truly a miracle he survived and with so few serious injuries. You need only look at the attached pictures, I'm sure you'll agree. He's home now and on the mend.
I hope this never happens to any of you folks out there with children. Being so far away, not knowing how seriously hurt he was and feeling so helpless was the worst man, the worst.
Rich
The first five pictures: Any one looking to by a used Subaru cheap?
#6: The site that greeted us at Central Maine Medical Center on our return.
#7: The day before he was discharged, looking better already.
"We are different - yet we are the
same"
