A friend in need…. is a friend indeed!
First written August 2005
And for this past week in 2005 I had been indeed a friend …. to a complete stranger. His story is sad, but true, and I would like to share it with you. I’m not telling you this to receive pats on my back or anything, but to make his story known.
I heard about his plight in a pilot’s forum. Years ago Pete was a professional pilot as well as a well know aerobatic flyer. It seems that 17 years ago he had an on-the-job accident that got treated wrong and caused him to lose his medical and thus his job. All these years he has pain and depends on crutches. He is understandably frustrated and bitter, but he hasn’t given up hope that he can still be cured.
When I read about his plight, and that he wanted to come over here for treatment, I felt I had to help, if only with the translations. I ended up organising his appointments at the clinic, arranging his accommodations, driving over 200 km to pick him up, driving him to the clinic, and just plain doing what I could to help. Being on crutches and speaking no German it was difficult enough for him. Remember, I didn’t even know him! But he turned out to be a very funny, very nice gentleman!
The first clinic didn’t hold up to his hopes and he was quite depressed. After all, the rest of his LIFE depended on getting healthy again!
I convinced him to try another clinic I knew about (a sport clinic in Bad Nauheim. This meant a train ride for him to Frankfurt, where I picked him up at the main station and drove him another 50 km to the new clinic. Being a pilot, I knew he’d enjoy visiting some air fields so I showed him a couple. Then I had to leave him again on his own…. I had to work in between and even managed a visit with my daughter and my granddaughters!
He was thrilled with this new clinic! They found out what his problem is and he has hopes again. They have to have more tests done, but that wasn’t possible at such short notice. He’ll have to make arrangements for that at a later date, but for now he had to return to England. They did say he shouldn’t be using crutches.
I drove to pick him up again and, since he couldn’t get a train back to Cologne to catch his bus back to England until the next day, I offered to let him stay at my place I have a guest room that is a mess, but still usable heehee I had an important meeting early the next morning which meant getting up very early and dropping him off at the train station in my town. Again, don’t forget the poor guy is on crutches, can’t speak the language, and had a suitcase to carry! But it seems everywhere he went, people offered their help and he was very pleased with the generous help everywhere! Today I got a call that he arrived back home safe and sound!
So, as you see, it’s never boring in the life of Westy! And beware if I ever decide to help you! I think Pete never did so much walking around (which he now knows is NOT good for him) then he did during his time with me!
We hope to get the next appointments made in October. I’ll keep you all up-dated. Let’s keep our fingers crossed!
Having our first German beer while still in Cologne
And touring the town
And sight-seeing the big Cologne cathedral
One of the airfields we visited, Egelsbach, located south of Frankfurt
And of course touring Frankfurt
And stopping by another airfield, Reichelsheim/in the Wetterau
And it was here that I took this fantastic photo
