On The Edge: Stepping Back From The Brink of Suicide
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It has been reported that earlier today, Sunday, 23 February 1986, at approximately 1.00 p.m., a car hit a bridge and veered out of control. No other vehicles were involved in the incident. However, inside the vehicle two parents and their two children, who were travelling back from Scotland after a half term break skiing, were seriously injured in the incident. The crash took place the other side of Bristol, resulting in major traumas. It is alleged that the father swapped driving roles with the mother when they stopped off in London to visit the Carnaby Street market. The mother broke her neck; the father broke his collar bone whilst the young daughter, aged just two and a half, did not survive the crash. The son was rushed, along with both of his parents, to Frenchay Hospital in northern Bristol where doctors had a three day fight to get him into a stable coma and onto a life support machine. The boy, aged only five and a half, sustained massive head injuries, as well as breaking his pelvis and developing an infection in one of his lungs.
The mother was rushed to a specialist unit where she was put in traction; weights were put on her head so she could not move her neck, which may have resulted in spinal traumas as well. The young boy was taken immediately to intensive care in a very critical condition that did not look hopeful at all. Doctors and nurses fought to help the poor child and struggled to get him into a steady coma. His limp pale body, overcrowded with wires and tubes, looked as if it was floating on the waterbed they had him on whilst fighting to save his life. The life support machine had been working overtime to keep the boy alive in his coma, but doctors and nurses had spoken to the boy’s family, warning them that one day the machine would have to be switched off, as no signs of change could be seen in the little boy’s condition, and asking if he had been christened. Medical staff also warned that, even if the helpless child did come out of the coma and managed to breathe unaided, because he had sustained such massive head injuries and bodily damage, he would most likely be a cabbage in a wheelchair for the remainder of his life.
The machine was one day turned off, as still the boy’s condition showed no signs of change. The boy did not respond or breathe on his own. His traumatised family pleaded with the medical team to turn the machine back on and give the boy a little more time. Their protestations were so adamant that the medical staff agreed to give the kid a few more days to try and breathe without the help of the life support machine that had been keeping him alive or almost three weeks now.
The family prayed to whatever was out there that their boy would one day make it by himself. They had already lost a daughter. And to lose the boy too – that would destroy them all. They so longed desperately for their little boy to open his chocolate brown eyes once again.
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About the Book
James was only five years old and travelling home to Devon after holiday with his family in Scotland in 1986, when tragedy struck. The car was involved in a serious accident just outside Bristol, leaving him fighting for survival on life support. When he emerged from his coma, doctors discovered that he was seriously brain damaged, leaving the left side paralysed. Within the blink of an eye James had been transformed from a gregarious, fun-loving little boy into a rag doll. But with a lot of loving support, he began the long and difficult road to recovery. His attitude was inspirational, and for years he threw himself into rehabilitation. As James grew up he began to feel misunderstood and not able to reach the level of normality he so yearned for. He felt that there was no longer any point to his life. When James asked his doctor for help, the reality of his situation suddenly struck. Suicide would be the ultimate failure. This is the story of James' life and how he fought tooth and nail to stay alive. It is both his autobiography and a guide to personal development. Since making the conscious decision not to give up hope, James has gone on to travel the world and teach English abroad. James is open and honest about the things in which he has found great solace during his darkest hours, and he credits the teachings of Kabbalah, an increasingly popular form of Jewish mysticism, for helping him refocus his life. The singer Madonna, a long term exponent of the spiritual teaching, has been an inspirational figure for James. James is now a picture of good health; despite continued weakness in his left side and a limp, he walks confidently and with a purpose.
About the Author
James Gardner was born in Exeter, Devon England, on 2 August 1980. At the age of five and a half he was involved in a serious car crash that claimed the life of his 2 year old sister and left him fighting for his life in a coma. James has gone on to reclaim his life through uphill struggles and against all the odds, where doctors said it was unlikely that he would survive. If he did they said he would be a cabbage in a wheelchair forever. Learning to walk and talk again, and regain his humorous side James has travelled the world and experienced so many things that have shaped him into who he is today.