The Interrupted Life III – A Boy and a Bike by Eleanor Shepherd

       

         As we gathered in our small groups for morning prayer time, I listened to Kevin Grigsbey from Australia as he told us about some of the challenges that his son, Philip was facing. It was 1994, and I had the privilege of attending an international course for Salvation Army officers from around the world. It was a great opportunity to meet colleagues from many different countries. By coincidence Kevin and I also happened to  share the same birthday – the same date but a different year.

            Now there is something else that Kevin and I have in common. We both have a son with quadriplegia, although I had not yet become part of that elite group when I met Kevin. As we became acquainted in London, England I discovered that Kevin was a delightful individual who laughed easily, rarely revealing the pain that the interruption in his life had brought to him. 

            The event happened in 1980, October 14 to be exact. Philip, Kevin’s second child and older son was riding his bicycle with a school friend on the road near his home. The driver of a Toyota Campervan, blinded by the setting sun, did not see him and ran over both Philip and his bicycle. 

            His father, Kevin described the scene when he arrived. “Philip lay in a bloodied heap, suffering multiple injuries with most of his bones broken. He smashed his skull and shattered his collarbone, ribs, elbow, thigh, pelvis, shin and ankle and was unconscious.” 

Fortunately, an off duty nurse, who was one of the first people to arrive at the accident scene moved Philip to a position that allowed him to breathe. Otherwise he would have succumbed there on the road. 

            There was a district hospital in Whyalla, the town where the family were living and arriving there by ambulance, Philip was ushered into surgery for a three-hour operation on his comatose and shattered body. Late that night, Philip and his mother Lynne, accompanied by emergency medical personnel, were flown to the Adelaide Children’s Hospital 380 kilometers away. There, Philip spent the next eighteen months. 

            During the first six weeks, Philip hovered between life and death hooked up to life support in the Intensive Care Unit. On three occasions the family were called to his bedside with the anticipation that death was imminent, yet he rallied each time. This battle scarred little boy remained unconscious for three and a half months and then gradually emerged from the coma. As he did, he became aware of the pain that has been his constant companion ever since the accident.

            Early diagnosis of Philip’s possibility of recovery was not encouraging. His family was informed that he had suffered permanent brain damage that cost him the capacity to speak as well as mobility. He would never be normal again and the best thing would be to walk away and leave him in institutional care. This, his parents refused to do. 

            

            

            The Grigsbeys received support from their community. All over the town of Whyalla, people gathered regularly in churches and homes to pray for Philip and his recovery. Phillip’s parents and particularly his mother, Lynne who was spending her days with Philip in Adelaide, surrounded her son with her prayers and promises that she was constantly finding for him in the Bible. At the same time, she also set herself to learn skills that were required to help in Philip’s recovery, and training volunteers to help her in this task. 

            Almost two years after the accident, in April 1982 Philip was able to come home in his wheelchair for weekends and by September was discharged from the Adelaide Children’s Hospital. By now the family were living in Adelaide and they were able to arrange for further outpatient treatment for Philip at Regency Park Centre for young disabled people. His diagnosis was: Acquired Brain Injury and Quadriplegia.  

           

Philip was able to eventually complete his schooling and in 1989 was able to attend a secondary college to study. He earned the Victorian Certificate of Education and received a special award that cited: “ Philip Grigsbey who endeared himself to the school as a fine young man who was determined to overcome the challenges in front of him as an individual, and a very productive and popular member of the school population.” 

           

       As you can imagine, there are many other aspects to this story of interruption in the life of the Grigsbey family and you will be able to read about how they coped along with details of this and other stories I have been sharing in this blog when my book The Interrupted Life, comes out.  

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2009