The Wonder Year 1991 - 19th August the day the world changed

 

Hello Friends,

A new month (March) the is weather cold and yes there wind a rain for this time of year before I move forward I am going to take a deep breath as I am ready to put into words the event that changed the course of my young life in August 1991.

A little refresher I and my family were in Dordogne France, we were have a really nice time in the fresh air, we had a swimming pool to play in .  

As I continue, I will make note of things that I have had confirmed or have no recollection of and my people have helped fill in the blanks.

photo credit : The Crouch family  

The cottage (photo above) we were staying in sat alongside a Farm tranquil and picturesque. I wasn’t able to recall much details until my Mum show me some holiday photos before the 19^th August. no digital technology to record daily life - old fashioned camera (that I call a real cameras) a with film the type that needed development after photo was taken.  The photo shows a typical holiday.

A family on holiday all smiling, having fun which we must cherish, and keep those memories alive, as they are the Bright side of that holiday .

I can remember playing cricket against the French men in the village it was England against France. English side made up by those from UK on holiday. I was a fielder, i catch the ball as you do, then throw back to the keeper and running out the batsman.

After the game I recall being asked by a posh English boy (no judgement he just appeared more refined then me) how do I know how to throw the ball back to the wicket keeper? I do not know what I said but I think he thought because I came from Bristol and not so refines as he was (poshness overload), I couldn't play cricket!    …..back then Cricket culture was not accessible to all the sport was very much reserved for the upper class anyway that was my perception it may be wrong.

 I cannot remember how many runs I got when I was batting or if I did bat or not.

 We did have a swimming pool (below photo ) that we did use very much, imagine it was right outside the house we could swim all day if we wanted to. Being a city kid an outdoor swimming pool in the hot summer was greatly appreciated.

The photo below was taken before the 19th august, check out my fashionable shorts !

photo credit : The Crouch family 

I recall that there was a man who would come once a week to clean the swimming Pool, he was a part time golf coach too. So, we had one lesson, but I think we would have more lessons if the holiday had not been interrupted so sudden and horrifically. To think I could have been a professional Golf player, One lesson and I was a true master.

I wonder do I still have it mmm golf now that a taught!

10 days into the holiday the 19^th of August 1991 a day that is marked historically by the dissolution of the Soviet Union. Also, the Crown height riot black groups target Hasidic Jews on the Street over 3 days after 2 coloured kids were struck by a car driven by a Hasidic Man.

It was a Monday (I know that it was Monday because I just used the google calendar!). It was the day that changed the world as my people and I knew it.

 

photo credit : The Crouch family 

Myself and my sister having summer fun  - The Bright Side for Living 

 

Now this is what I think happen. We were day 10 into a 14-day holiday. Had regular greeted and patted the horse that was in the field next to the cottage during that time.

Mum has confirmed that the horse was not there every day during our stay only occasionally, she has been told his name was Cite. I find this very interesting in meaning the word Cite is derived from Latin  ‘to call’ and in  Old French ‘ to call upon officially or authoritatively to appear (as before court ).  The horse destiny may have been pre-determined by its name!

Mum said ‘that on the occasions when the horse was in the field he come to the fence , he would roll on his back like a puppy waiting to be stroked and that he was friskily but they sis not give it a single thought ’

Mum also recalls that we were in an area that was sparsely populated a beautiful environment. There was an electric cattle fence separating the field from the pool and Cottage area. The owners of the cottage had said that the farmer did not mind people crossing the field to access the river for fishing.

All what I can for a remember from the day before the accident.

Photo Credit : The crouch Family 

I was climbing a tree safely when my mum said that one day you are going to hurt yourself if you are not be careful and I said am not going to hurt myself. I don’t know why I remember this conversation so vividly it was on the 18^{th of} August. (The day before my head injury)

A day before or on the day, my sister and me went on a bike with our dad, maybe it was in the morning (this has now been confirmed by my family that it was in the morning and I hadn’t gone it was my sister and dad) .

My sister was tired on her return,  mum said she had wobbly legs as it had been an extra-long bike ride. Just at the time of their arrival back Mum recalls that a postmistress arrived with a letter from my Babi (My grandmother Mums mother).

Dad who was not tired from the bike ride like my sister, had suggested that we go fishing across the field - now I did not remember it this way somewhere my memory got confused and I thought I had been going for milk, memory loss from the event I put this down as.

 

Friends I am now going to step back from my words and insert those of my parents (In Blue). The reason for this is I do not have full recollection of the moments leading up to the accident or during and straight away afterwards. I am beyond thankful that my parents and people have taken the time to fill in the blanks of my story, our journey.

I have never shared my story publicly, it emotional, yes, a little stressful as I didn’t want to cause any pain to my loved ones in having to remember and relive the blanks I could not recall. My deepest gratitude to my family.

 

So, Dad and I were off to go fishing.

 

Mum approached the cottage door holding the letter from Babi (my granny) she recalls seeing a dot on the horizon getting bigger and bigger moving at speed towards my dad and myself. It was the horse Cite . She is coming to say ‘Hello’ Mum thought and continued inside the cottage to read her mother’s letter. Moments later came the SCREAMS, HELP HELP ME, from my dad .

Mum ran into  the cottage, my sister was frozen to the spot staring at the field as my Mother could see, She was staring at my Dad holding me with blood dripping from my head and lifeless body.

The horse towering up on its hind legs over her husband and son who was obviously unconscious.

My 15-year-old sister saw the whole episode: the horse galloped towards my Dad and myself and kicked both of us with its hind legs.

Dad was kicked in the back dangerously close to his left kidney and I took the impact to the Left side of my head I still have the imprint of the Horses shoe on my head. Bio oil does not cover up all scars or indents like that!

Mum recalls -  picking up the long stick which was used to remove leaves from the swimming pool, it was the all she could do and had to hand, Mum went for the horse to try and move it away from my dad and myself .

The horse turn in an instant to face my Mum towering up and with ‘crazed eyes’ my mum recalls hearing my Dad shouting at her to ‘Go back, She is going to Charge again’

My Dad even hurt could see the severity that the animal was out of control and didn’t want my mum to be her next victim a selfless act at a time of danger-ever grateful that my Dad yelled at my mum.

Mum recalls having to run back away from the horse and My Dad and Me. Unimaginable.

In the meantime somehow my sister became unfrozen from pure shock and horror and with pure adrenaline mounted her bike and with astonishing presence of mind my 15 year old sister exhausted from morning excursion cycled at speed to seek Help .

The farmer and his family who owned the horse were away for four days to celebrate a relative’s wedding so my sister had to cycle beyond the farm house until she found another house with people in it.

My sister found a house and the couple came as fast as they could. Even the experienced local man had difficulty moving the enraged horse.

My Dad carried me in his strong, protective arms into the cottage. My parents did everything in their power to stop the bleeding, but it was impossible I was so injured blood was all that they could see.

The local couple used the phone in the cottage to immediately seek help, they call for the ambulance which came in 20 minutes.

The ambulance crew took over and worked on me for some time My family recalls. They then put in the ambulance and transferred me to hospital in Bergerac. I have no recollection of any of this at all .

My parents followed on after to the hospital in Bergerac by the time that they parked the car and got to the right place in the hospital they were told the decision had been taken to airlift me to Bordeaux as my injuries were so horrific and beyond the capabilities of the Bergerac Hospital. At this point my father who was also injured while protecting me needed medical attention. My Dad was x rayed and then my parents got in the car and drove the 50 miles or so to Bordeaux they arrived at 5pm.

For me now as father to fully comprehend the pure courage, strength and determination both my parents and my sister had in those hours, a foreign country, a language they were not proficient in , my Dad had also sustained serious injury is so beyond whatever I could imagine. Scared and frighten worried they drove on adrenalin to what they must have known by now was not good news.

 

On arrival at Bordeaux my parents were taken to me, what the saw was there son heavily bandaged up and on a ventilator .

The Doctor that was leading my care was Dr Cochard told my parents that I had been seriously injured, and that I was in a coma , that I had a fractured skull and that the next 10 days are going to be crucial to see if I was going to live .

My parent were in deep shock , the hospital found them a cheap hotel , where the went a spent a few hours sleepless overnight , At this point the Nightmare has started .

 

This is were I am going to stop for now the reason it emotional for me . I will continue in my next post .

At this point I want to express my deepest gratitude to My mother , Father and Sister  .

They saw the brut force of the horse’s actions, in attacking me, my father who provided me with protection, and tried to defend from me  additional attack suffered blows from the horse himself.

With horrific scene and blood everywhere my sister instinct took over, she used the little French she has and got help my hero .

My Mum for listening to my father and not putting herself at risk , for listening to the risk .

There no words that I can put in this page that will ever come close to the reality they went through at that time. It changed their lives forever.

I never have asked the question Why Me?

The reason is I would not have traded place is I would not have wanted anyone to have sustained the injury that happened to me,  however  my Mum, My father or my Sister all have sustained injury too, as no one could go through such seeing  trauma  mental wellbeing in those days was not a thing . Today we can say that anyone who witness or is part of such incidents have suffered mental injury . It takes incredible strength to live with this more than sustaining physical injury .  Together as a family we have overcome and continue to work on the mental scars that are left , it wont ever go away but we have learned to live it .

My next post will be a continuation of our journey and those early days  .

 

Thank you for taking the time to read my posts . I do appreciate all the support  and love hearing your comments and Feed back .

 

Till the Next time always look for the Bright side

 

Dan