Roald Rudman's Story
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The day of Roald's accident started as any other day but ended in a tragedy. On 6 October 1997 I left for work and as always he sat on my lap driving out of the driveway and his caregiver took him from me outside. I gave him a hug and kiss and left for work promising to see him later. |
At 16H15 I received a phone call from our caregiver and she hysterically told me that Roald fell into the swimming pool. I immediately phoned the emergency services and summoned them to my home. I also asked them to phone my house and to give instruction to do CPR. I left the office and rushed home, phoning several times on my way there to make sure that they continue with CPR.
When we finally arrived (it felt like hours..) I found a policeman standing outside and he followed me in, grabbed my arm and another policeman lifted a blanket from Roald's head and told me that my son was dead.
I shall never, for the rest of my life, forget what those words did to me! It later came out that when the policemen arrived, they stopped a family friend from doing CPR, looked with a torch into Roald's eyes and felt his pulse and ordered the caregiver to fetch a blanket. They covered him and stopped CPR although the friend insisted that they should do more.
Eventually the Emergency Services arrived and started with CPR again, got a pulse within minutes and he was taken to hospital where he spent 44 days in Intensive Care. The fifteen minutes+ under the blanket could so easily have killed our beautiful bright eyed boy who was so clever at age 2y8m at the time, he knew all his colours and refused himself to drink from baby bottles a few months before and he gave his nappies to the monkeys because he felt they needed them more!
His idea of raining was: "Mamma dit mors daar buite!" "Mamma it wastes water outside!"
On 6 October 1997 our lives changed dramatically and with little help from the hospital and doctors, except that we should institutionalise him, we took our son home straight from the Intensive Care unit and we started reading, browsing the internet and joined support groups like PONDS (Parents of Neardrowns) to seek support and advice from other people in a similiar situation.
Roald will be 16 years old February 10th 2011 and we still celebrate his life and thank God that he is still with us! He has a lot of motor challenges but cognitively he is very much aware of his surroundings and responds by saying a few words or he will blink his eyes to answer us. If I ask him if he loves me, he will respond by blinking once. Roald is the love of our lives and only for him would we have been able to fight the legal battle that lasted eight + years and that finally let to compensation in Trust for our brave boy.
My message to parents out there : Never give up, I know I cannot and our brave one deserves every bit of help, love and care!!
Pieter & Elna Rudman - Roald's loving parents
Petri, Bo & Chantal - Roald's loving siblings
09.01.2009. 21:20
Does anyone know if there are similar services in Namibia? Please contact me privately if you know of them
My email is fionajaffu@yahoo.com
Hi, I stumbled upon your website through my extensive readings since my daughter of 6mths was diagnosed with cerebral palsy, believed to have been caused by jaundice soon after birth. Thank you so much for all of the information that you have made available and after 2 months of reading, and asking relentlessly for information from all angles I must just tell you that your website has been the most useful, informative and valuable sourse of information I have managed to find. Best of luck, strength and energy going forward. You are doing fantastic things for your son and other children like him. Thank you!
bo schabort on 16.12.2009. 14:31
Hey Chummmmmmaaaaaaaaa!!!!!
I heard you are getting something really cool for christmas! ROCK ON!!!
Elna Rudman on 14.09.2009. 14:06
Roald will be going to hospital for a hip replacement on 15/09/09, please if you visit his webpage and read this, say a prayer for him! He had 3 surgeries the end of last year and the one hip did not heal as expected and he is in daily pain and there is the possibility of an internal pressure sore, thus this operation that we hope will solve the problems. thank U, his parents!
Ruan Ross de Jager on 13.09.2009. 22:48
One day they will be the stars that shine the brightest of them all. Roald, always know, to you belong, the kingdom of heaven. You will always be in the centre of God's heart, you are a brother, and a great teacher to me, radiating the blueprint of human perfection. I never doubt the day, that I will see you run and laugh, living for love. You are the living miracle that will move these mountains. You have changed my heart, you have changed the world.
To you and your parents, I decree the attributes and divine qualities of God. We are but His awareness, weaved from the fabric of his intangible perfect dream. The answers to the questions in her heart are on their way. All bliss, boundless love and wisdom, indescribable beauty and perfection. Healing is the principle, let this ocean of infinite unconditional love dissolve anything unlike itself, multiplying the joy and peace they need.
All my love!
Ruan Ross de Jager
Tony Clarke on 25.08.2009. 16:04
An inspirational story and with a real message - never ever give up. You are good people and deserve success with Roald - never ever give up.
Your website has meant the world to me. Thank you for sharing with the rest of us your story.
Elna Rudman on 10.02.2009. 10:34
HAPPY BIRTHDAY BIG BRAVE BOY ROALD! Birthday wishes received from James & Edith, grandparents, Chrisna & Family and I expect from lots of family and friends today - we wish you a wonderful 2009 and beyond!
Faye Jones on 23.01.2009. 01:08
A very nice web page. How sad
the policeman stopped the rescue operation. Roald is
so handsome.
Elna Rudman on 22.01.2009. 14:20
Roald asked me to thank all of you for your lovely comments whilst he is struggling to find the right words! (LOL) We appreciate any input, advice and feedback so much!
Karin Salkow on 21.01.2009. 15:36
Hi Elna,
What a lovely page. You've been a great support and inspiration to me.
Love you guys lots.
Go Roald!!!! I'm proud of you.
Hola Chumma!
What a wonderfull place this is! Wish I could be there with you now, your brother is ready to take you on with the Nintendo!
What amazing parents we have!
Itīs so hard to say anything wise and extraordinary to two people, who through their lives define these terms better than any.
Erika Sieberhagen on 16.01.2009. 13:27
Hi, Elna and family
I am sad that for so many years I have not had the privilegde to know Roald. I am proud to see that you Elna, and your family, have so much courage to take care of him. We do not know why things happen, but God can always turn a tradedy. We will keep on praying for you.
Olav Skille on 13.01.2009. 17:56
Roald and Elna & Pieter
Congratulations with the web page. I am impressed by the informations you have put there, and how factual you are describing noth the event which changed your lives and the amount of energy you have invested in trying the different therapies. for some of us just the smallest improvement can mean an immense change in life quality!
Once more, congratulations from Norway!
Mandy McCulloch on 13.01.2009. 17:23
Hey Roald - we miss you. Hope I am the first to send you a comment. You have the most amazing parents- full of courage and conviction, but I guess you already knew that.
When are you coming to visit us again. Hope those hips that were giving you so much pain are starting to feel a little better.
With love from your friends at RehabMatters
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