KEEGAN UPDATE : THREE WEEKS ON : 25 APRIL 2009

Exactly three weeks ago families and friends were gathered at the Mater Dei Casualty Department in Bulawayo, beginning to come to terms with the enormity of the night’s events.

No doctor was on duty, but with our close knit community, one specialist physician and two GP’s rushed to the hospital as soon as they were called. Then things started happening, pain alleviated, treatment administered, and distraught relatives comforted. Someone went off and brought back armloads of hot coffee and rusks.

Someone not even directly connected just appeared at the door with a bundle of foreign currency, saying he knew hospitals wanted cash ‘up front’ and wondered how he could help. Everybody seemed to be struggling to get through to friends and relatives on what must surely be the worst mobile network in the world!

Falcon College’s nursing sister in charge of the Sanatorium who had been up for half the night, seemed to take control and what a huge relief it was to all concerned. This is one amazing person – she was on duty for over 18 hours that day and maintained a cheerful smile throughout; helping, counselling, comforting, explaining, organising and advising, refusing to leave until the last patient (Keegan) was finally on board the ambulance and on his way to the Airport.

Zimbabwe’s ‘support network’ which I think must be unique to this wonderful country, really swung into place. It is exactly this sort of thing that makes life so worth living.

The news on Keegan today is basically ‘no change’. He has had his ups and downs, as expected, over the past three weeks, but remains today, I understand, stable. Within the next 24 hours he faces a procedure to relieve pressure, but again this is expected. We always knew this was going to be a long process.

Thankfully all the other boys involved have either fully recovered or are making good progress.

Although it is now three weeks since the accident, it is really only one week since the Trust was launched. The response in its early stages has been absolutely overwhelming, exceeding all expectations. Here are some details which demonstrate the depth of feeling, compassion and commitment right around the world:

• A world renowned artist has commissioned a ‘one-off’ sterling silver sculpture of a running Cheetah, named the ‘Keegan Langley’s Cheetah Light’, valued at over $3,000, and this will be auctioned on Max 3.
• Contacts are being made with South African Radio talk shows.
• Dinners, hockey matches, sponsored rides etc are all planned for Harare and Bulawayo.
• All requests for assistance in printing have been met at no charge.
• A fundraising quiz is to be organised at a University in Australia
• A ‘hunt’ in Zimbabwe has been donated, this will be raffled in the USA and should raise a lot of money
• The Blarney Brothers are coming to Harare and efforts are underway to benefit from that.
• Cash donations have been flowing in from around the world and bank accounts have been opened in RSA, USA, UK, Australia and of course Zimbabwe.
• A Trust that was set up in the UK in memory of a renowned Hungarian Falconer who fled the uprising there in 1956, has allocated funds to another young Falconer – Keegan !
• Keegan’s Face Book now has over 600 members, with some innovative ideas coming out of it.

This is all so positive and of such comfort to the Ade and Sally. We are really overwhelmed at the way in which people have come together.

However, there is a harsh reality to be faced. Hospital charges amount to approximately $1,000 per day, and this does not include specialist treatment of any sort. We all know that this is going to be a long haul, and we have a mountain to climb. Please all continue to publicise this noble cause far and wide, because our momentum must be maintained.

Thank you all from the Langley family and members of Keegan’s Trust.

UNTIL NEXT WEEK….!