It had been a normal day for Andrew. Having returned from a bull auction he was driving a 2-wheeler round his farm, a mixture of sheep and beef; everything seemed to be in order and it was time to head home. In a split second he was under a Hilux that he had not seen coming from the other direction.
Initially in a state of shock Andrew did not realise the extent of his injuries and tried to wriggle out on his front. Fortunately, a worker on the farm called 111 and help was dispatched.
Tatsu, the Intensive Care Paramedic on duty that day recalled:
“At the scene, I was literally holding Andrew’s leg together, it was completely shattered.”
“We put him onto a temporary cardboard splint, but it soon became drenched in blood, we looked at applying a tourniquet but knew that yes that would stem the blood flow, but it would also significantly increase the chance of Andrew losing his leg.” When Tatsu met Andrew at the base he had a look of utter astonishment on his face; Andrew shouted out to him, “I still have it!” They were talking about Andrew’s leg and soon Tatsu was admiring the handiwork of the surgeon.
Andrew spent many weeks in Christchurch Hospital and at Burwood; he has had over 10 surgeries altogether. Andrew is pragmatic though; it was an unfortunate accident that could have happened to anyone, he just feels so blessed he got the help he needed, and quickly.
Not deterred by his situation Andrew organised a fundraiser for the Westpac Rescue Helicopter at the Fairlie Community Centre – supported by his local farming community.
