From Rikki Timmins on her Husband Steve.
These are the words I say to my hubby Steve every time he gets on his bike to go for a ride. Always, he says. I say, it’s not you I’m worried about, it’s the idiots that are on the road nowadays.
We see it on the television every day, a motorcyclist has been injured and worse in accidents….”I didn’t see you” they say.
Then you get the gut feeling that something’s not right and then you get the phone call. That’s the worst thing. Or so I thought until I went through the gut wrenching worry, panic attacks, stress and then the anger. The anger at a person who decides to take substances, drive with no regard to people or property and then just leave the accidents, because there was more than one, he caused (allegedly). I have to say that.
My husband is 65 years old and was severely injured by a hit and run driver just before Christmas 2018. He has ridden bikes since he was 13 years old and is a very good rider. He is a member of the Ulysses Motorcycle club, membership #48909. His skill and reflexes saved his life when this driver allegedly did a deliberate u-turn in front of him….he had less than 20 metres to decide what to do, doing the speed limit of 100kmh. He laid his bike down and saved himself. Witnesses thought he was gone at the site.
When I got to the hospital he had no idea what had happened and to this day does not remember the accident at all. He spent two nights in intensive care with a fractured skull, bleeding on the brain, 6 broken ribs, broken clavicle and scapula, a bone broken inside his ear which went underneath his left eye and masses of abrasions. A Social worker talked to me there and I remember her telling me about Dr Wings. In my daze I took a photo of the card and didn’t think much of it. Steve was transferred to the surgical ward to recover. He was in another world and was just not himself. It was really tough to see him like this.
On his second day in surgery a man came in asking for him and introduced himself as Ron, a member of the Bundaberg Ulysses Club. I was amazed and asked how he knew about my hubby. He had received an email from Dr Wings aka Mr Ken Lovegrove of M.A.R.I. Motorcycle Accident Rehabilitation Initiative. We had never even heard of it. The Social Worker had made contact with them.
Now I want every motorcyclist and their families and friends to know of them. The work they do Australia wide for any rider injured in an accident anywhere is nothing short of amazing. The support, the contact, the caring….all from someone you don’t know. Get the word out, into hospitals, chemists etc. everywhere.
Steve is now out of hospital and is slowly recovering. It’s been a tough emotional, physical and mental road we have been on these past few weeks. I cannot thank Ken and Ron enough for the support they’ve given my husband and me during this time.
Riders, take the time to find out as much as you can about Dr Wings and M.A.R.I. I guarantee you won’t regret it and God willing you won’t need them.
Ride safe everyone
Rikki Timmins.