[H-GEN] Leon Brooks seriously injured in car accident

[Tony Nugent]

This is something I just picked up in the Linux-AUS mailing list (fairly high
volume, so I tend to read through it only occasionally).  This hasn't been
mentioned here, and so I'll pass this news on for those who haven't heard.

 

For those who may know him personally or by reputation, you may like to know
that Leon Brooks was involved in a car accident in Perth on the night of
Saturday 25th Feb, sustaining severe head and spinal injuries.  Leon has been a
very active member of the Australian Linux community for many years - as long as
I can remember.

 

He has been in ICU at Royal Perth Hospital since then, medically sedated,
intubated and ventilated, and he is expected to be there for at least another
month or so before his is over the more acute phase of his injuries.  He is
slowly progressing (although not without some complications, eg, severe cerebral
oedema and chest infections etc), but his longer-term prognosis is not expected
to be known for up to 4 months or so.  He could be looking at a rehabilitation
period for up to two years when he does recover from this phase.

 

The latest reports say that he is still intubated and on a ventilator (but
breathing on his own), he has been taken off the heavy sedation and he is
slowly, slowly returning to consciousness, and now starting to vaguely respond
to physical stimuli.

 

He is married (his wife's name is Lucy), with at least one young child.  (I only
know him by reputation and by his frequent emails to the linux-aus mailing
list).

 

Having been in this position myself (suffering from a serious head injury and
times spent in intensive care units - both as a patient, one event only
recently, and working as an ICU-trained registered nurse in the past), I can
relate very closely to the situation he is in.  I can only have the deepest
sympathy for what he and his family are (and will be) going through.  It is a
very tragic event, for sure, and Linux Australia will also miss him.  He needs
his family, and Linux Australia is his extended family.  From the posts in the
mailing lists, it appears that he his getting that moral support.  But his
injuries are far more serious than anything that I ever went through, and it
will be a long, hard haul for him to get back to any sort of "normality" again.

 

This is a very sad situation, a terrible tragedy, and a great loss for all of
us.  I wish him a speedy and full recovery.  Often it is times like this when we
find our true strength, and I have no doubt that he will pull through, but it is
certainly going to be a tough road ahead of him.  Quoting from the latest post
about his condition. "the journey has many miles ahead yet. We must have
patience and keep positive, trusting God every step of the way".

 

If you have any religious convictions (or even if you don't), please remember
him in your thoughts and prayers.  If any sort of donation/support fund is set
up, I'll pass on the details.

 

Cheers

Tony Nugent

Phone: +61 7 5526 8020

 

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