January 15, 1999

A father's story

Danny Wein in California

Nov. 21, 1998 was the blackest day of my life. The Canadian embassy in Ottawa called to say our son, Danny, was involved in a collision with a truck just outside Bogotá, Colombia. He had a broken leg and head injuries; the prognosis was not good. Eleanor, my wife, and I wandered around home like zombies while trying to keep busy until we heard further news. The next morning at 7 a.m., I was flying to Bogot wondering if Danny was still alive; I had packed my black tie.

Danny's trip-of-a-lifetime had been going so well. In late September, he and two buddies from Vancouver headed for Central America via the West Coast and then Mexico by motorcycle. His telephone conversations and his email messages were filled enthusiastically with friends made, sights seen and experiences enjoyed. Of course we were happy for him and proud of his quest for independence. We were concerned with his safety as he and Jeff travelled through the Yucatan Peninsula and into Belize as Hurricane Mitch approached the Caribbean Coast. They drove to El Salvador ahead of the worst of the storms that began to tear apart the countries of Honduras and Nicaragua. We were concerned poor travelling conditions would prevent him from preparing for his graduate program at the University of British Columbia but his email read "Don't worry Mom, I'll be home for Christmas." With the roads completely impassable, they flew with their bikes to Caracas, Venezuela. They planned to travel south to Chile and Argentina. It was not to be.

I arrived in Bogotá late on Nov. 22, the day after Danny's accident. A representative of the Canadian embassy and Jeff met me at the airport and we drove to the Hospital Simon Bolivar immediately. The broken femur held together by pins and a brace, the bruises, the stitches and the breathing tubes were not pretty.

There must have been a guardian angel sitting on his shoulder at the time of the accident. He had been soaked with gasoline from the punctured tank and no sparks caused ignition. Jeff was at the crash immediately and probably saved his life with first aid. Three medical people arrived from nowhere and assisted. A stretcher appeared from a nearby construction site and in 20 minutes he was speeding toward the nearest hospital in the back of a pickup truck because the ambulance could not fight through the traffic. The hospital was only a few kilometres away and had one of the best trauma units in the city of 7 1/2 million people. I thought back to my conversations with Danny as he prepared for the trip. He had bought the best of protective helmet, outerwear and boots; it sounded like a lot of money at the time. Now I was convinced the gear saved his life.

I stayed with him for three weeks while he stabilized in the intensive care unit at Simon Bolivar Hospital. The hospital staff members gave us outstanding professional and personal attention, and at home, my university colleagues and our other neighborhood friends stepped forward with many kinds of support. During the first week and a half, there was a clearing of the bruising but a problem with pneumonia. In the second week and a half, Danny stabilized. He began breathing on his own through a tracheal tube, he fought off the pneumonia and he received physiotherapy treatments. On Dec. 9 we were galvanized into packing by the news that Danny could be transported by air ambulance in the near future.

The next day a medical team flew with us to Edmonton by Lear Jet air ambulance. Our son was admitted to the University of Alberta Hospital. Danny would be home for Christmas. (And just a note here about the value of travel insurance - which Danny did have. It may seem expensive but our family needs no convincing: It's essential.)

We said goodbye to the friends we had made in Bogotá and to a very supportive medical team at the hospital. Our flight to Edmonton was smooth and comfortable. Danny appeared to travel well under the care of three medical people.

He had a few setbacks after arriving home and it was frustrating for our family because the rapid staff changes over Christmas made it difficult to talk to staff who had seen Danny more than once. He was found to be harboring MRSA (methicillin-resistant staph aureus) and so has been in isolation; visitors must wear a gown, face mask and gloves. He was not fed for four days after our flight because the doctors required a new stomach tube implant. He kept loosing weight until our family insisted his energy intake be increased (it went up 50 per cent). His conscious level has changed positively only to a small degree; he ranges from eight to 10 on the consciousness scale. His lungs cleared and he is now breathing through his nose; the tracheal tube will be removed soon. He is receiving pain relievers from time to time.

Danny has had a flood of visitors since arriving home. We think it has been good to have his friends talk to him about familiar experiences. He is responding with more open eyes, as well as face and hand movements; there is no speaking yet. The face and arm bruising is gone and he looks quite normal. (Danny's female friends think his scars make him more handsome.)

It was a quiet Christmas. We wait for Danny to make small, daily improvements in the New Year.

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