After being thrown 15 meters off his motorcycle in a near-fatal accident, a young child was rendered completely blind. Rowan Gillam, the seven-year-old son of Jill and John Gillam, will make his motocross debut in Brisbane in 2020.
Who is Brisbane boy Rowan Gillam?
A young boy was left completely blind after being thrown 15 meters from his motorcycle in a horrific crash that nearly killed him.
Jill and John Gillam prepared their seven-year-old son Rowan for his first motocross race in Brisbane in 2020 by outfitting him in full safety gear.
But tragedy struck when Rowan, the first of 20 riders to take the start, lost control on a bend on the Fort Lytton Motocross Club track and was discovered motionless in a dry creek bed.
Rowan’s injuries were so severe that a portion of his skull had to be removed to relieve pressure on his brain, and the seven-year-old spent nearly two weeks in a coma.
Cause of the motorcycle accident.
Jill and John Gillam were getting their seven-year-old son Rowan ready for his first motocross race in Brisbane in 2020.
But tragedy struck when Rowan, the first of 20 riders to take the track at the Fort Lytton Motocross Club, lost control in a turn and was discovered motionless in a dry stream bed.
Rowan’s injuries were so severe that a portion of his skull had to be removed to relieve pressure on his brain, putting the seven-year-old in a coma for nearly two weeks.
Rowan, now nine, also had a stroke, and the injuries caused him to lose his face.
Despite the fact that Rowan’s life has been forever altered, his parents say he’s had a great time and has even set his sights on competing in the Paralympic Games.
What exactly happened to Rowan Gillam?
An Australian mother has spoken out about the horrifying motorcycle accident that left her son blind at the age of seven, and how his miraculous recovery has astounded everyone around him.
Jill and John Gillam, Rowan Gillam’s father and mother, are astounded by their son’s remarkable recovery from a harrowing accident and lengthy recovery.
Rowan was critically injured in a motocross accident and was taken to Queensland Children’s Hospital.
Rowan was in a coma for nearly two weeks after a portion of his skull was removed to relieve pressure on his brain.
Ms. Gillam recalled seeing the crowd rush towards a rider, unaware it was Rowan, as she reflected on the terrifying crash.
The statements of the Parents of Rowan Gillam
Gillam spoke to the Daily Mail Australia.
“He was unconscious and freezing.”
As his terrified parents watched in horror as Rowan was rushed to Queensland Children’s Hospital, crazed onlookers called an ambulance.
Rowan was in a coma for ten days and it took him a month to fully recover.
Unfortunately, the swelling cut off blood flow to the part of his brain that controls vision, the occipital lobes, and he went blind.
“We spent $500 on the best helmet, it was like a treat – he got everything brand new for the race, the helmet, elbow pads, knee pads, neck guard,” Ms. Gillam said.
Rowan had been riding the track twice a week with his father since he was five years old, and his engine had been checked and found to be undamaged.
Rowan was put into a coma while still in the ambulance after paramedics discovered swelling in his brain.
When Rowan was able to speak again, he informed his parents that he couldn’t see the television.
Rowan needed occupational therapy to learn to walk again.
A machine measured the pressure in his brain over the next few days, and “it didn’t look good,” his mother said.
“He’s got a new lease on life, he’s doing things he might not have done before,” Ms Gillam said.
‘He enjoys dancing and has lost all inhibitions.’ “Come on mommy, look at me!” he exclaims.
‘His memory is also excellent; he enjoys learning French and converses with us in French.’ In a year, he learned Braille and went to the gym twice a week.’
Rowan also plays soccer with a bell to keep track of where he is.
He is determined to compete in the Paralympics one day.
“He is very sweet; he considers others and loves other children,” Mrs. Gillam said.
“Some people may think he’s angry because of his experience, but he’s not; he’s really happy and positive, like a perfect kid.”
The Recovery of Rowan Gillam
The pressure just kept rising and rising. Then it peaked, and he had a stroke,” Ms. Gillam explained.
Rowan also developed a staph infection in his brain as a result of having to remove a portion of his skull to relieve pressure.
The Gilliams was terrified for seven days that their son would die.
It took him a month to fully recover from a coma, and while his parents waited, they were told he might wake up as “a vegetable, unable to eat or blind.”
When Roman was able to speak again, he told his parents that he couldn’t see the television. Rowan quickly expressed an interest in playing soccer with a special ball that contained a bell.
Rowan began to improve after the Starlight Foundation assisted him in receiving music therapy.
Unfortunately, the swelling cut off blood flow to the part of his brain that controls vision, the occipital lobes, and he went blind.
Rowan gradually improved thanks to music therapy from the Starlight Foundation.
He slowly rolled out of bed and danced with his mother. “Baby” by Justin Bieber was his favorite song.
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Rowan was soon “laughing and joking” and back to his old self.
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