Crash survivor grateful for second chance

Eleven years after a near-fatal crash in St Ann, Don-Juanique Gardener is using his second chance at life to give back to the hospital that helped save his life.

The JN Bank merchant relationship officer returned to the St Ann's Bay Hospital on October 16, to donate a McKesson wheelchair, a vital signs touch screen monitor, a G3R trolley, a three-panel stainless steel privacy screen, and a wooden overbed table.

"This hospital played an integral role in my recovery, and this is something I wish to do for many years to come," he said. "If it had not been for their initial help, I would not be here trying to aid somebody else."

The donation was made possible through proceeds from his annual fundraising event, aptly named Recovery, which he hosts each year to commemorate his birthday and his full recovery from the crash. This year's event was held at Puerto Seco Beach in Discovery Bay, St Ann, on August 10.

"I always wondered what purpose I had on this earth being given a second chance and that troubled me emotionally," he reflected, reasoning that his life was spared to give back to others.

Dr Tanya Hamilton-Johnson, senior medical officer at the hospital, vividly recalls when Gardener was brought there after the crash.

"Due to his severe injuries, his recovery was deemed poor at the time. We knew he was in problem because his score was low," she said, referring to the Glasgow Coma Scale, a medical assessment to determine a patient's level of consciousness. Scores on the scale range from three, indicating deep coma, to 15, representing full consciousness. Gardener registered a score of three.

"We had to get him off to a Type A facility to be managed in an intensive care unit for his severe head injury. He miraculously did well due to the intervention of the medical team," she said. Hamilton-Johnson was grateful for Gardener's contribution.

"The hospital sees quite a number of patients from motor vehicle accidents; we see a lot of trauma cases. Therefore, what he has donated will go a far way," she pointed out.

Gardner was involved in a crash in the early hours of February 1, 2014, while on a night out with friends. What followed has left a blank space in his memory.

"No matter how hard I try, my brain is unable to unlock most of the memories from that time. My doctor said I may never remember and perhaps it is for the best." Gardener said he had no idea why he chose to drive his mother's Toyota Prado instead of his own Honda Civic, when he left home that night. But he believes that decision saved his life. The SUV veered off the road, near Dolphin Cove, and went over a precipice after he fell asleep at the wheel. The thick vegetation prevented the vehicle from plunging further. When he was finally found, approximately five hours later, by Andre Hill, a lifeguard at Dolphin Cove, he was unconscious, still strapped in his seatbelt, blood streaming from his head and ears - both signs of serious brain trauma.

Gardner was rushed to hospital, where doctors battled to stabilise him. Hours later, a Jamaica Defence Force helicopter airlifted him to the University Hospital of the West Indies in St Andrew where he was placed under the care of neurosurgeon Dr Peter Charles and his team. He was placed into a medically induced coma to control the swelling in his brain. When he finally regained consciousness weeks later, he found himself on the Tony Thwaites Wing, disoriented and struggling to grasp what had happened.

"They tried to explain to me what had occurred, but for me it felt like I had gone to sleep yesterday and awoken today," he recalled. "I could not comprehend how I had lost over a month of information." By April 2014, Gardener was able to return home. His recovery was slow but steady. Though he could have been left in a vegetative state, he defied the odds and even later completed a master's degree in international business.

Today, Gardener places a strong emphasis on road safety.

"Five minutes of sleep can do wonders. Too often, people try to turn up the music, roll down the windows, or drink energy drinks to stay awake, but ultimately, the only cure for sleep is sleep," he maintained.