SteveW & Bron's sad news

[Dot]

Sadly SteveW and his wife Bron lost their son Simon last week. Steve gave me the ok to put the news on here and he will be putting something up a bit later. George and I wish to extend our sympathy to our mates Steve & Bron.

[T1 Terry]

I feel your pain, our thoughts are with you. Loosing a child cuts very deep into the soul and takes a long time for the pain to ease

T1 Terry & Margaret

[Swisslulu]

So sorry for your loss, Steve & Bron.

Lesley & Erich


Cheers
Lesley

[norman]

Our condolences Steve & Bron,

[BernieQ2]

Condolences from Carol and Bernie .

[SteveW]

Simon had a car accident 27 years ago (1988)- not a major crash as such - but he hit his head on the right side. It was the kind of injury that side curtain air bags are meant to prevent. He was unconscious for 4 months and kept alive on the machine until his basic functions resumed. He remained in Post Traumatic Amnesia for about 9 months further then began rehabilitation insofar he was able. It was a long and difficult struggle, both mentally and physically and while improvement could only be measured in years or perhaps 5 year increments he constantly improved to the point where he enjoyed life, particularly coffee shops and car shows. He spent his life in a wheel chair with 24 hour personal care unable to do much for himself. In some respects he continued to improve, particularly in his approach to life and his level of happiness, however, over the last 5 years some aspects of his health began to decline. At the end all his drinks were thickened and spoon fed and all his food was vitamized and spoon fed - all this to prevent aspiration of food into his lungs. He had pneumonia about 8 times in the last 5 years, each time suffering worse to the point where he was not expected to survive last January when he had pneumonia. The last nine months were the best of his life and included a couple of holidays, one week in Echuca in June and the last week of October for his 46th birthday in Adelaide with all of his cousins, aunties and uncles. We were all born and lived in Adelaide until 1987 when we shifted to Melbourne.
The weekend before last, Simon began to suffer with fluctuating temperature and Bron took him to hospital on Sunday. He went from being unwell on Sunday to full on pneumonia and some other infection by Monday morning twice requiring Medical Emergency Team intervention to keep him breathing. Monday and Tuesday were a terrible struggle for him and he was eventually comfortable, albeit barely conscious, by Wednesday. By Wednesday afternoon, if he opened his eyes he was unable to focus. Thursday he was moved to palliative care and he died on Friday night just before midnight.
In the early years Simon struggled to understand his situation; his short term memory was virtually nonexistent, his eyesight was poor and he had difficulty hearing. He had no use of his right arm, his left arm had a tremor, he had limited ability to support his weight on his legs - he lost that eventually - and almost every other function was impaired. Through all this Simon never complained and never once asked, "Why me?"
It is difficult but we are mostly saddened because of the goals and dreams he had that were unfulfilled.
We have been through this before and it doesn't get easier. Our second son, Andrew, and his girlfriend were killed in 1989 by a drunk driver who rolled his car over into their path on a highway colliding head on. Our daughter, aged 42, was hit by a hoon driver 5 years ago and lives in a wheel chair. Our fourth child (aged 40) is a heroin addict and spends more time in gaol than out. Other than that, things are just fine.

[supersparky]

So sorry to hear of your loss. After reading your story I can only conclude that you two must be very special people.

[Shirley]

Sincere sympathy, thinking of you both.

[dream4red]

Steve and Bron, you have led a very difficult life and nobody should have to face the combination of problems that you have both faced. You are both in my prayers and may you soon have some time for quiet reflections and calmness in your lives.xxxx

[Wilbor]

Sincere condolences to you both, thinking of you