The Great OE Plan that Ended in Less than Six Hours
Overseas Experience (OE) is supposed to be a time for young people to have fun combined with the joy of discovering new cultural experiences and meeting new people. For LAC Henry Wendelborn an accident in Australia on 07/07/07 and its aftermath was far from fun…
Image right: LAC Henry Wendelborn. WB-07-0254-27-tn.jpg.
It all began with an early start on 7 July 2007. My Jet Star flight departed Auckland for the Gold Coast. A quick flight over got me to Coollangatta airport, from there I made my way to Burleigh Heads then did a few odd jobs before sitting down for a quiet drink on that Saturday night. I remember every small detail leading up to the accident but somehow the body doesn’t allow you to recollect the trauma it’s put through during an ordeal like I went through.
Waking up on 14 of July was very much a shock to the system, looking down at my legs and seeing my left all bandaged up and my right with a large contraption on it. Later, I found out that this acted in the position of your small blood pump located in the upper calf enhancing blood circulation.
My best mate from school stated, after talking to the bus driver who saw the accident, that it was a small Toyota car driving in the 70 km/hr zone that nearly ended my life.
Mum was the first person I saw when waking up after being in the induced coma, trying to speak and not being able to due to having the tracheotomy, the nurse grabbed a piece of paper and a felt pen. It was such a weird feeling not being able to speak, by this stage I understood that something really bad had happened and I was truly lucky to be alive.
While I was in the induced coma Mum phoned CPL Raymond O’Brien on the Sunday morning, and he kindly informed all the necessary friends and workmates about my accident.. W/O Cedge Blundell, my Squadron Warrant was informed, and within a short time he got to it and cancelled my years LWOP, and put me straight back on the payroll, placed me on sick leave, saw Mum off at Blenheim Airport. The support was overwhelming.
Image left: X-ray of LAC Henry Wendelborn’s skull following his accident in Australia. 070707-tn.jpg
After waking up from the coma seven days after the accident, I had a couple more days in the Intensive Care Unit, then up to the ward before my release. Tuesday the 17th was a good day, after waking up in the ward a nurse brought in a bunch of cards and flowers from my mates back home. The black humour in the No. 40 Squadron card was great, perfect timing. In fact I used humour to cope with many of the adverse yet painful situations. A funny situation was when I did my best to pursue a gorgeous ICU nurse called Sarah, she transferred me to the ward. In the end there ended up being four Sarahs and no last name - oh well. Returning to ICU after a few days in the ward to say thanks the staff hardly recognized me as from being in the coma and looking like ‘The Hulk’ only a few days earlier.
It wasn’t until the three week mark that Mum informed me all of my vital organs were damaged. The accident had left me with two hemorrhages of the left frontal lobe of my brain, a bruised heart, a collapsed left lung, a badly smashed jaw, cheek bones and left eye socket broken in various places, and to top it off I had a broken left tibia and fibula.
After spending my compulsory 30 days with out flying allowing the lung to recover Mum and I departed for New Zealand. The trip was torture and felt like it was never going to end, because of the nerve trauma damage to my leg I was getting massive nerve pain that the pain killers prescribed couldn’t entirely deal with. Getting back was a real relief. There really is ‘no place like home’. The first week back was great getting into a bit of routine. When the first weekend rolled around half a dozen good friends on the 07/3 PROMCPL course visited. It was so good to see them.
Six weeks down the track pain management was still a real problem, it was a matter of taking each day as it came. I was still on pureed food and can I tell you I was really looking forward to eating a good old Kiwi dinner of steak, eggs and chips. The six week mark came round pretty quickly really considering how long each day felt at the time. The first maxillo- facial appointment went well, the repairs carried out on my face had healed well enough for me to start eating a near normal diet . The first feed was KFC - what a treat, it felt like Christmas.
My only outings at this stage seemed to be appointments, but the best days have been when Air Force mates have made the effort to get transport and come out and visit me in the Marlborough Sounds where Mum and Dad live.
My progress to date has been remarkable according to the medical profession. The left leg injuries have become the focus of my recovery now. Plenty of work ahead to get myself back to a full active duty.
The support from the Air Force has been overwhelming from all facets, and now being able to rehab through Woodbourne has been awesome. Getting back into work has been great for the head, four months at home has been tough in its own way. I couldn’t believe how good it was to put the uniform back on again!