Marie Lang tells in her own words the moving story of a horror accident that happened in Australia:-
"I had always planned to travel the world, but then I started dating Stephen, 30.
After sharing same circle of friends for 10 years, we had flirted, but nothing further.
But at our friends wedding in 2006, Stephen and I started talking and before we knew it, we were kissing.
After that, we never looked back.
We lived in each others pockets.
He's the one for me, I thought, if I go to Australia I'll lose him.
But one night, as we cuddled on the sofa, Stephen said, "Your heart is set on travelling, so I'm coming with you.
"I've thought long and hard, I'm selling the business then me and you are off."
I was ecstatic.
Stephen had family in Melbourne, but he had never visited before.
Over the months we prepared for our perfect holiday.
Stephen sold his steel fabrication company and I looked hopefully into our future.
We booked our visas and on 6th April 2007, we said farewell our friends and family in Britain.
"Here we go Marie." Stephen smirked as he buckled into his seatbelt.
"No turning back now." I grinned.
Gazing out the window as the plane took off, my tummy fluttered.
Clasping hands, Stephen and I grinned at each other.
"I love you." Stephen said, kissing me gently on the cheek.
"Me too." I blushed, as I snuggled my head on his shoulder, sleepily.
24 long hours later, the captain announced our arrival.
"We're here!" said Stephen shaking my arm.
The pair of us giggled like children.
As I stepped off the aeroplane, the sun beamed down and a wave of hot air hit my face.
"I think I could get used to this weather." Joked Stephen marching off the plane.
For the next five weeks, we stayed with Stephen's relatives in Melbourne while we searched for a car.
We bought a tent and a van and spent weeks converting it into a camper.
Stephen was amazing.
He built a bed, shelves and fully insulated the whole van.
We had a TV, a fridge, everything we needed.
"Well, what do you think, Marie?" Beamed Stephen.
"Our perfect little motor home!" I replied.
In May, we set of to see Oz.
Over the months we travelled along the beautiful Queensland coast, making our way towards Bundaberg for seasonal work.
We stayed at a farm in Gayndah, Queensland, picking fruit for three months.
It was tiring picking manderines and lemons all day, but the nights were fun.
We sat round campfires singing and drinking with the rest of the workers.
Whenever we had time off, we visited beaches along the coast.
"This is heaven." I said, as Stephen and I bathed along Sunshine Coast.
In September, we arrived at Harvey Bay, a gorgeous sandy beach that ran for miles.
We took daily trips to go whale spotting and visited Fraser Island - an island made entirely of sand.
It was pure bliss.
Moving from Queensland, we travelled along the New South Wales Coast towards Sydney.
Reaching Sydney in October, I found a job as a sales co-ordinator while Stephen worked as a welder.
"What a beautiful city." I exclaimed as Stephen and I gazed at the Opera House.
"It's amazing." replied Stephen, as he clicked away with the camera.
We stayed in Sydney for four months, spending Christmas and New Year there.
I missed my family at Christmas, but Stephen and I made the most of it and we went for a roast dinner in a restaurant along the coast.
At New Year we met with a couple we met while travelling, Amy and Ben, and spent the night at Double View Bay, overlooking the city's bridge, opera house and its fantastic firework displays.
"This really is a dream come true," I told Stephen as the clock struck 12.
Travelling back down the coast, we stopped at Batemans Bay, a small fishing village.
Each day is a new adventure, I beamed to myself.
After a few days drive, Stephen and I arrived at Hunter Valley's winery.
"Oh I can't wait for all this wine-tasting," I giggled, as we set up camp at Cessnoch.
The hot sun shone down over the endless green vineyards as we took the tour.
"This is the life eh, Marie." Said Stephen, stretching his legs.
We spent two weeks exploring Hunter Valley.
"You've got too much energy Ste!" I joked, watching Stephen climb energetically.
"Come on," He teased, "Get up here, we're moving on tomorrow."
Stephen held my hand as I struggled up the rocks.
Despite the drizzly rain, the view at the top of the valley was incredible.
Standing behind me, Stephen wrapped his arms round my waste.
"Love ya." He whispered in my ear.
"Love you too Ste." I said back smiling.
Together, we gazed out at the beautiful view.
Later that night, I packed up most of our things, ready to leave the next morning.
On 3rd February 2008 I woke up bright and early.
"Wake up sleepy head, we've got to be off the site by 10." I yawned.
"Five more minutes." Stephen groaned, rolling over.
I lay back down, cuddling into Stephen's strong arms.
"If we must." I giggled, shutting my eyes.
15 minutes later, Stephen and I got up.
It was a dull day and as we started packing our tent onto our trailer, it started to rain.
"I can't believe it's raining," I moaned.
It was the first sign of rainfall we had had for nine months.
We set off at 10.20am, stopping at McDonalds for breakfast.
After strapping ourselves back into the van, we left for Brisbane.
"Gosh, this weather is awful." I said, fiddling with the air-conditioning.
Stephen slowed down as the rain fell hard on the windscreen.
Just then, a young driver on the opposite side of the road sped round a bend and lost control of her car.
She came hurtling towards us at 100kph, smashing into our van head-on.
A hard force pushed against me.
I felt sick.
My head started spinning.
An almighty pain surged through my body as car after car smashed into the back of our trailer.
The van toppled over and I was flung through the window ten feet onto the busy road.
Everything went blurry.
I woke up and felt hot sticky liquid pouring from my face.
Curled in the foetal position, I looked down to see masses of crimson blood.
My arms and clothes were drenched as rain and blood trickled from my body and onto the road.
I heard Stephen screaming.
His voice torn in complete agony.
"Ste!" I yelped, "Where are you?"
I tried to turn to see what was going on, but my body wouldn't move.
Shooting pains darted down my neck and spine.
I was still wearing my seatbelt.
The force of the smash had tore the seatbelt from its hinges.
Terror surged through me as I looked up to see our camper van.
It had completely overturned.
Ste's screams were horrific, ringing in my ears.
"Someone help him!" I screamed, but my voice was practically a wimper.
Tears streamed down my face as I prayed for Stephen to be okay.
"He's trapped!" A panicked woman shouted as she stared at the van.
"Ste!" I screamed, blind with panic.
Seconds later, I was surrounded by three women.
One threw a coat over me, sheltering my body from the pouring rain.
"Are you okay?" She asked, her eyes wide.
"Where's my Ste!" I cried.
Hearing his piercing screams was all I could think about.
My head was spinning as I slipped in and out of consciousness.
"Open you eyes, stay with us." One woman begged, desperately trying to keep me awake.
Within minutes, rescue teams swamped the scene and an air-ambulance arrived.
As they lifted me onto the stretcher, excruciating pain tore through my body.
I screamed in agony as they carried me to the helicopter.
"Ste! I can't go without him!" I cried, hysterical.
"He will be right behind us." A paramedic soothed, wiping the blood from my face.
Everything went blurry as I was airlifted to John Hunter Hospital in Newcastle.
I was taken to the emergency room to have my face stitched.
The smash through the van window slashed my face, severing the nerves and leaving the skin to hang from my forehead.
My collar bone was broken and several bones in my left foot.
Doctors removed part of my bowel in emergency surgery as my stomach was filling with gas.
After a few hours on my hospital ward, I came round and immediately thought about Stephen.
I screamed for a Nurse, "Where is Ste? I need to see him."
My heart pounded at the thought of losing him.
"I'm sorry, but Stephen was suffering from horrendous leg injuries.
"We have had to amputate his legs from below the knee." Said a doctor.
My heart stopped.
"What?" I said, staring in disbelief. "There must be some mistake."
"He's in surgery. His right lung collapsed and he has shattered his entire pelvis." The doctor added.
I felt physically sick.
After the accident, Stephen was trapped in the mangled van, with diesel and battery acid pouring over him for just under an hour.
His legs were crushed as he hung upside down in the over-turned camper van.
Emergency services cut him out and he was was rushed to John Hunter Hospital by air-ambulance.
"You will need surgery on your back in a few days Marie." The doctor added, sympathetically.
"You have shattered the vertebrae in your spine."
Bile rose in my stomach.
I was terrified.
What if I'm paralysed, I thought.
What about my Ste? Will he still want me?
A million questions spun round in my head.
But I couldn't speak a word.
Stephen had to have another operation to repair his shattered pelvis.
It was held together with an external frame, rods and metal plates held his broken bones together.
He also broke his right femur, so after several operations, he also had to have metal plates built into the top of his leg.
I couldn't see him at first.
Two days after the accident, I was taken into surgery for and eight hour long operation on my shattered vertebrae.
Thankfully, everything went okay.
Doctors told me I had to wear a back brace for at least six months to repair my back.
I was relieved, but all I wanted to see was a familiar face.
My mum and dad managed to get flights over.
"Mum! Dad!" I yelped.
As they ran to my bedside I sobbed, overwhelmed with emotion.
"It's okay Marie," Mum said, her eyes filling with tears, "We're here now."
"I haven't seen Ste," I cried, "How is he?"
Warning me Stephen was still traumatised, the Nurse took me and my parents to his ward.
He was with his parents.
I froze as the Nurse pushed me into his room.
His face and arms were stitched and bruised while a thin white sheet covered the bandaged stumps of his legs.
A huge lump filled my throat.
"Oh God!" I gasped in shock, "My poor Ste."
Stephen was delirious from his medication.
"CCT scans say he's had a huge trauma to the brain, he has no memory of the accident.
"We've told him about his legs but it hasn't registered." His mum said sadly.
I wept hysterically, pain soaring through my chest.
My heart ached for him.
All I wanted to do was throw my arms around him and tell him everything was alright.
Stephen was on so much medication for the pain, he was unaware anything was wrong.
He didn't even know his legs has been amputated.
I took a deep breath and stopped crying.
He needs me, I thought.
I must be strong.
My mum pushed my wheelchair to his bedside and I stroked his left hand tenderly.
His right hand and arm was bandaged from were he had sliced it open on the van window.
He had tore the nerves in his arm and lost feeling in his fingers.
"Hey Ste, it's me, Marie." I said softly.
Stephen looked at me confused, "I no who you are." He said shaking his head.
A wave of relief came over me.
At least he remembers me, I thought thankfully.
Over the next few days, Stephen's condition got a little better.
He finally understood that his legs had been amputated.
He took it amazingly well.
Two weeks later on 19th February, we were moved to the same ward to help our recovery.
I stayed by his side, desperate to help him cope.
As he slept, I gazed and Stephen, his soft blonde hair swept across his forehead, and realised no matter what, he was the man I wanted to spend my life with.
On 23rd February as we sat in our hospital beds, Stephen turned to me, asking me to shut my eyes.
"Close your eyes and pretend I'm down on one knee," He started.
Butterflies fluttered in my tummy.
"Marie, will you marry me?"
I looked deep into Stephen's big blue eyes, "Of course!" I said happily.
On 24th March, Stephen and I were transferred from John Hunter Valley Hospital to the Liverpool Royal Hospital back in Britain.
We were separated on the plane, poor Stephen was strapped into a stretcher and put across nine chairs.
People stared at him as they walked past.
I sighed with relief as we landed.
Finally, we're home, I thought.
Stephen was taken stright to the Royal Liverpool Hospital and I was allowed home, still confined to wearing my back brace.
I stayed with my mum and while Stephen was in hospital.
I missed him so much, so I concentrated on finding a place for us to live.
With the help of friends and family, we found a perfect ground floor apartment.
I was overjoyed.
On 8th April 2008, Stephen was discharged, and we moved into our new home.
Now we take each day at a time.
We both have daily physio and hydrotherapy classes to strengthen our bodies.
I still have nightmares and get flashbacks of the crash, but I'm learning how to cope.
Stephen can't remember the accident, which is a blessing after all he has been through.
I still wear my back brace, but over the next few months I've been told to wear it less and less.
My foot has healed well, and my facial scar looks better, although I still have no feeling in my forehead.
Stephen has lost feeling in his fingers on his right hand after damaging the nerves in his arm.
But despite everything, focusing to the future keeps us going.
Stephen was measured for his new limbs on 19th May, so it won't be long until he is back on his feet.
We have both come so far.
I think if we make it through this, we will be indestructible."
Post a comment