Crash survivor donates medical equipment to hospital

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

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 earnestly. “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 St Ann’s Bay Hospital, vividly recalls when Gardener was brought to the hospital after the crash. As fate would have it, she was present that morning, despite not being on duty.

“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.”

Dr Hamilton-Johnson noted that Gardener’s contribution will go a far way in supporting patient care.

“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. The male surgical ward, in particular, sees trauma and cancer patients daily,” she pointed out.

It was one of those severe trauma cases that would change Gardener’s life forever. In the early hours of February 1, 2014, a night-out with friends ended in a devastating crash.

What followed left a blank space in his memory.

“The only proof of life I have between February 1 and March 2014 is in non-linear stories told to me by family and friends,” Gardener reflected.

“The most difficult part for me is listening to these stories and not being able to truly connect. 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, then in his early twenties, 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. That unexplainable decision, he believes, 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 which are signs of serious brain trauma.

He was rushed to the St Ann’s Bay 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. Gardener 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. My body quickly began to relearn things as my brain rebooted, bringing back all my memories except for the circumstances surrounding my accident.”

By April 2014, Gardener was able to return home. His recovery was slow, but steady. Doctors had warned his family that survival from such a head injury was rare and that even if he did survive, he could be left in a vegetative state. He defied the odds and even went on to complete a master’s degree in international business.

Today, Gardener places a strong emphasis on road safety.

“If I am tired, I don’t push myself, I sleep,” he said, stressing that fatigue behind the wheel can result in a serious outcome.

Reflecting on the advice he learned from his father, he added, “Whenever he was coming home from work and felt tired, no matter what, he would park the vehicle in a safe spot and rest. 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.