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Tourer
Posts: 332
Dale, Indiana |
Just wanted to pass on my cousin always exercised his right not to wear a helmet where the law allowed.
One week ago he was driving one evening on his Harley when a deer broadsided him. He more then likely he never saw it coming. He was found under his bike by another couple on a bike that came along right after it happened.
Until they and the cops found the deer hair on his bike they couldn't figure out why he went down.
Mike is still alive but he's in a coma. He has brain damage but has movement and has responded to commands by the doctor even though he's in that coma. A breathing machine is doing his breathing since both lungs were collapsed. His eye sockets were broken and his broken nose and jaw kept him from breathing.
Also
The thing they stick into your throat so he could breath damaged his voice box.
He has many other broken bones in face and head. He really doesn't look that bad in spite of his black eyes and the tubes.
Right now he's stable but he was stable a week ago. He's showing signs of losing motor functions and weakness in his body.
Personally, it's not good. If he makes it, he'll never get on a bike again because of the head trauma.
Would a helmet have helped him?
I believe yes.
We could guess all day.
Thanks, I just wanted to get something off my chest.
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Visionary
Posts: 8144
New Bohemia, VA | Tim, my prayers for your cousin and family during this time. It is always difficult in the middle of these things on the shoulda, woulda, coulda and it is easy to think the helmet would have reduced his chances of the type of injuries he sustained. I wear a shorty exo-100 and I know friends that wear those pretend helmets. Personally, I want to know I have something on just in case. But in the scheme of things, though our passion is a dangerous vocation, people get serious injuries on the simpliest of situations that wasn't even dangerous. Your cousin was doing, I'm sure, what he loves to do most and only time will tell which way he will go. I hope he'll have a good recovery and be able to tell others about it. |
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Tourer
Posts: 367
Cottage Grove, Mn | IRR
Sorry to hear of whats happening to your cousin I will keep him and his entire family in my prayers. Helmet or no helmet is always the debate as for me i never found a good enough reason not to wear one.
Blackjack |
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Iron Butt
Posts: 742
North Orange County CA | Tim:
35 years ago, a friend and fellow motocross racer was forced to drop out of college as a result of a traumatic brain injury suffered in a minor, low speed accident on a moped in Bermuda while he was on spring break.
His ability to convert short term to long term memory was permanently impaired as was his speech. I have never ridden a bike without a helmet since; and have had a couple of occasions to be very grateful for them.
I hope your cousin recovers from his injuries. |
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Cruiser
Posts: 170
Houston, TX | My wife's condition for having the bike: "ALWAYS WEAR YOUR HELMET!!!" |
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Cruiser
Posts: 172
Prescott, Az | elvis441 - 2009-05-04 9:04 PM
My wife's condition for having the bike: "ALWAYS WEAR YOUR HELMET!!!"
+1 |
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Visionary
Posts: 1350
| My prayers to your cousin. |
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Tourer
Posts: 332
Dale, Indiana | Thanks guys.
I feel like walls are closing in on me.
My best friend is also in a nursing home because of a rare disease that is very slowly destroying his brain and muscle functions. He has maybe a week left.
Then yesterday my wife accidentally ran over my puppy.
I am starting to get in a bad mood. |
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Cruiser
Posts: 99
Kansas City, Ks | Sorry to hear about your cousin..
But I still believe that it is your choice to wear.
Sometimes that wife and I do, sometimes we don't wear our helmets.
The love of freedom..
Edited by Blue Demon 2009-05-04 11:07 AM
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Cruiser
Posts: 106
L.I., N.Y. | Tim, My wife and I prayers and thoughts are with you and your cousins families at this time. God Bless. |
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Visionary
Posts: 1484
LaPorte,Tx. | Sorry about your cousin getting hurt. That really puts a lot of stress on the family, so my thoughts go out to you and your family in this tuff time.
This is a good reminder to all of us, deer are not pretty or cute, they are dangerous. I and probably a lot of you have had close calls with deer while riding, this is an example of what can happen. I try to not ride in deer country at night, but you have to be careful in the morning also. I was just out to West Texas and most cars and trucks have these large bumper grills added to bounce the deer off of during night driving. I would say I probably saw 20 dead deer alongside the road in 5 days of riding, also two hogs, now you wanna hit something hard, hit one of those! WOW!
I wear a helmet......all the time. I read an article of a man that died in his driveway, didn't have a helmet on and fell over in the driveway and hit his head on the concrete, dead. I believe folks should have the freedom to choose, but they should understand......when they are brain dead in the bed from an accident they did not intend to have, they are not the ones that are suffering.....the family is!
Edited by VisionTex 2009-05-04 12:47 PM
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Cruiser
Posts: 166
Bullhead City, AZ | I am a physical therapist and I get to work with (teach them to walk again or roll over in bed) people that have tramatic brain injury. The saddest one is the kid that was a state track champion that hit his head when thrown from an ATV, only mark on him was the one on his head where his helmet should have been. North Dakota has a law that you must wear a helmet untill you are 18 after that our heads get so hard we don't need them any more. |
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Visionary
Posts: 2118
Pitt Meadows, BC Canada | I am currently vacationing in Maui. I have only seen a few of the many bike riders here wearing helmets. Personally - I have always disliked helmets but been forced by law to wear one. My first 25 years of riding - I didn't even own one. While living in Florida 97-02 the helmet law was repealed and I rode for 4 years without one.
This post is troubling me - I have a Harley Road King rented for the coming weekend and was looking forward to my bald head frying in the Maui sunshine. But now - I think I will try to put up with the helmets the rental company has offered.
I have cried a tear and more for your losses and pain. And I will use extra caution thanks in part to your sharing..... |
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Tourer
Posts: 332
Dale, Indiana | Well folks Mike is still hanging on!
He's opened his eyes and looks around a little but seems to have no idea what's going on. They removed him from the breathing machine and he's breathing on his own.
Personally, I think he's going to make it!!!!!
He reacts to people talking to him and to much noise around him makes his heart beat pickup like it makes him mad.
He's one tough sum-buck.
However, they think he has brain damage and he will have trouble talking again. He's got months of rehab ahead if he keeps going on. In spite of the trauma on and around his eyes the doctors think he should be able to see well enough to read and drive.
It all goes back to his brain damage. It's going to take some time until they can tell how much and how bad.
As I said he's tough.
He's worked hard and is a certified Harley wrench and once owned his own small shop and dealer. He's been all over the Country on a Harley and has done things in the past he's not so proud of.
That being said as big and tough as he is, he's a gentle giant.
The past couple years he's really changed. He's settled down and his freshly married and has a lot of old debts to pay from his not so proud days.
He does own the ‘official' "The Bitch Fell Off" T-shirt.
Many years ago he hit a bump on an On Ramp that was being repaved and his ‘second wife fell off the back of the bike!
Like I said he's getting better …. Even though it's going to be months and maybe years until he's back to what he once was. We all hope his brain damage isn't that bad so he can work around it.
Let me add; I now get the willies every time I go by the place where the deer hit him.
The cops and the doctor said the deer hitting him upside the head did more damage then his head hitting the dirt. When the deer hit him he was knocked-out and went limp. Bike landing on top of as he slide in the grass didn't help much.
BTW my friend Rick with the brain and muscle disease is actually getting better. According to the doctors a little over a week ago, he'd be dead by now.
And my wife running over my puppy…..
Still bothers me. But, it shall pass and I'll get another pup.
He was a mutt, but he was a nice little smart mutt. Little guy trained easy and he loved to please his master.
The day he died he was so cute. I came home from riding and I opened the garage door and rode in. He knowing that he was supposed to stay out of the garage barked and whimpered and wagged his tail like crazy while standing 1 inch from where the door would be if it were closed.
Even though he wanted to come in he stood there as he was taught. He never moved even has the door went closed.
Why?
Because he knew he was my little guy and I would reward him with much attention as soon as I got my bike stuff put away. Which I did.
I miss the little mutt.
Edited by Indiana RoadRunner 2009-05-09 11:41 PM
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Visionary
Posts: 1324
So Cal | I beleive fate is the ultimate decision maker. Except for those that have a habit of tempting fate, (law of averages) when it's your time there's nothing that can be done. Determination and will tempt fate in the opposite direction. It's the ying and yang. Without hard times, you wouldn't appriciate good times. Without love there would be no heartache etc.... Cant fully understand one without it's opposite. Man is the only living thing on this planet with the mental will to change the outcome of an event. We have air bags and ABS yet people still die in car accidents?
For those that beleive in a "higher power" saying they have gone to a better place is really no comfort. Remembering the good times helps.
Glad to hear things are going well with your cousin. Good people are hard to replace these days. |
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Freedom from helmets