The Encouragement Foundation

From the moment Gabby spoke I knew something was terribly wrong.

It was the call every parent of a helicopter pilot dreads. My daughter-in-law was distraught and my heart almost broke on the spot.

Over the years I had receive two similar calls but each time my son Steve was the one on the call so I knew automatically that he was alive.

When Gabby was finally able to speak, she was able to tell me what she knew. It seemed to me that he was alive but not much more.

In my mind his injuries were possibly life threatening and as it turned out certainly life changing.

I was a thousand kilometers away and Steve’s mother and my wife, a further thousand kilometers away helping a family member move.

The trip from Caloundra on the Sunshine Coast to Cairns was excruciating. I arrived in Cairns and somehow found my way from the airport to the hospital.

To say I was concerned about what I would see when I got there would be a huge understatement. My thoughts were along the lines of what was I expecting to see when I walked into the emergency ward at the Cairns Base Hospital.

It is difficult to describe how one feels when confronted by a situation like this, only those who have walked through a similar experience will know the fear and anxiety.

The moment eventually came. I walked into the room and I saw Gabby standing beside Steve. It was marvelous to see her there knowing she had managed to get to Steve and to be there to comfort him.

I will never forget seeing my great big tough son lying motionless on that bed, hooked up to all sorts of tubes. Steve was covered in dirt and fuel from the accident.

I literally did not know what to say or what to ask either, to encourage him or console him. All I could see was this immobile body lying in front of me.

As a bit of a softy I look back now and see that I was in shock.

Finally I had to say something and what now seems rather silly I said “How are you mate?” You can just image how he was!

His comment is what turned the tables for me as a “Defining Moment”. Even though he had to struggle to say it, he said “everything is good dad”

These words were totally unexpected considering the circumstances. However these words were the encouragement and strength I needed to be part of the team of family, friends and community who were there for Steve over the next 13 weeks, as he went from intensive care into operating theater 11 times.

His pain was incredible, his discomfort was indescribable, but his words brought energy, hope and encouragement to me.

“Everything is good dad”.

I will never ever forget those words and the feeling of hope he instilled in me.

Steve’s legs were broken in five places. His spine was badly damaged, his shoulder socket was ripped out, and he had several lacerations over his body and two patches of 3rd degree burns. He was to lose his right leg before he left the hospital.

“Everything is good dad”.

Steve now spends a lot of his new life encouraging others never to give up. He believes that no matter what your circumstances are, if you have the right attitude, not only can you achieve great things in your life, but your experiences can be used to help others.

Steve was back flying in his beloved chopper only 9 months later.

by John Shadforth