On May 25th Frank was involved in an accident with a lorry and - based on his injuries - seems to have been literally run over. His daughter has started a facebook group for those interested in his progress and has posted daily as she and the family have been visiting him in the hospital. It helps keep the many people who are interested in his welfare informed, it helps her to write down each day's status and is a means for us all to offer a little support to the family.
We haven't transferred much of what she has said to here because, frankly, there hasn't been much to post beyond lists of injuries and what the hospital are doing to look after him.
One of his many injuries was a serious head injury and, today, the doctors have finally mentioned those two dreaded words that we hoped never to hear: "brain damage". To some of us - given the extent of his injuries - it will be no real surprise, though very unwelcome. They had him in an induced coma for 4 or 5 days immediately after the accident, but then he has taken a long time to wake up once they ceased the medication for that. Now he seems to be awake, aware and basically responsive, but not communicative beyond the basics of smiling and showing irritation/discomfort.
He's still got a long way to go for the rest of his body to heal, let alone his brain, and we can only hope that his fitness and fighting spirit will help; but the prognosis does not look good at this time and his family could do with any and all help and expertise from within the cycling community that could assist in his recovery or their coping with and understanding all that comes next.
I believe that he is currently in St Mary's, Paddington and, as his kidneys have been damaged and he currently needs dialysis, the doctors are talking of transferring him to Hammersmith Hospital, where that appears to be a speciality.
He's still got a long way to go for the rest of his body to heal, let alone his brain, and we can only hope that his fitness and fighting spirit will help; but the prognosis does not look good at this time and his family could do with any and all help and expertise from within the cycling community that could assist in his recovery or their coping with and understanding all that comes next.
I believe that he is currently in St Mary's, Paddington and, as his kidneys have been damaged and he currently needs dialysis, the doctors are talking of transferring him to Hammersmith Hospital, where that appears to be a speciality.
If you are interested in joining the fb group for updates on the situation, please comment here or contact one of the Phoenix 'officials' who can point you in the right direction (if you know me, you can friend me on fb and I can invite you into the group - feel free to unfriend me after!).
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Lisa
