Dubai: Richard Holland, the triathlete who was hit by a motorist in Dubai while on a training ride in 2012, is now in Cape Town, still unable to move or talk.
On October 11, 2012, Holland was training on his bicycle near Motor City for Thailand’s Ironman 70.3 Laguna Phuket race. He was riding with full safety gear when he was hit from behind by a car. He sustained severe traumatic brain and other injuries.
Holland was treated at Rashid Hospital and The City Hospital. He was transferred back to his native Cape Town in January 2013.
Judy Rothschild, Richard’s mother and his primary care-giver, told
Gulf News that their family had to relocate from Australia where they were staying to Cape Town to be with their son.
"Richards’s life has done a 360 degree turn. From an able-bodied athlete with a great job and a good future, a beautiful girlfriend and lots of friends and social life, he is now unable to move or speak." Judy said.
The driver who knocked Richard off his bike was found guilty and paid a fine, Judy said.
Richard lost his job, lost regular contact with his Dubai friends and work colleagues and his day consists of various therapies and being taken care of by caregivers and family, Judy said.
Improvement
Richard has made small amounts of improvement since the accident, Judy said. He is now able to move his right fingers, wrist and hand. "He has better head control and is able to swallow small amounts of soft food. He is communicating using a spelling board by confirming the required letter with a thumbs up, which greatly helps him to be more in control of his choices and desires."
"He has lost all form of independence and normality. He suffers from terrible sadness and loneliness and fear of the future, it being so unknown." Judy said.
She said her husband has had to find a new job at the age of 64, which was difficult, and her daughter also had to find a new job. "We have had to adjust to caring for a totally dependent adult on a 24-hour basis, which is extremely emotionally and physically challenging. We have left our 23-year-old son and two step daughters in Australia."
Richard’s mother, father and sister are completely involved and supportive on a daily basis, Judy said. "His siblings in Australia are as emotionally supportive as they can be and have had a yoga challenge fund-raiser to help raise some much needed funds [so that we] continue to be able to provide Richard with the essential therapies required to help him with his rehabilitation."
Prognosis
As to Richard’s path to recovery, Judy said the doctors will not give any prognosis as they say the future with a brain injury of this kind is unpredictable and unknown. "All they will say is that brain stem injury is usually very devastating and the recovery and progress, if any, is very very slow."
Judy said they continue to believe and hope that some more improvement will take place and that Richard would be able to find some independence and opportunity to live a life with easier communication and movement. "A life that every young man in his 30s deserves."
"We are continually overwhelmed and grateful to all the Back on your Bike and Richie’s supporters. They are always there to encourage and show support in whatever way."
The Back on Your Bike (www.backonyourbike.com) campaign was launched in November by Holland’s family and friends as a link for donations. They have raised 1,639,857 South African rands (around Dh558,546.77) to date.
The ultimate target is $1.7 million (almost Dh6.2 million), a number estimated by the DANA Foundation, a US-based philanthropy, as the lifetime cost of caring for a patient in Holland’s condition.
Judy said the financial aid raised from many of the events the supporters organised has been "an invaluable financial help". "Rich misses Dubai and his work and friends. He really misses the physical activity and social life that accompanies many of the sporting events that he was involved in," she said.
