Hi everyone, Not sure if this is the place to put this or even if it's allowed, but I'm sure someone will let me know if not. I am asking if you could see it in your hearts to please visit this site and give whatever you can spare, be it time, money or something to donate to this cause. http://www.supportcarlbart.com/ Carl is a wonderful guy and what has happened to him is so unfair and could easily happen to anyone of us, it's the unfortunate wrong place wrong time scenerio. If you own a company you can also be a sponsor of the site by donating. I know this is a lot to ask of you as you don't know myself or Carl, but all his family are trying to do is get their son/brother home so they can take care of him. Also, if you live in the area please feel free to attend any of the events being orgainsed to help raise funds. Thank you for taking the time to read this....
Hi ray, I was going to post this too - my other half let me know a few days ago and knew Carl through friends/family. I heard it was a motorbike related accident. No doubt we have all had the thoughts of potential devastation our passion for bikes could have on our nearest and dearest if the worst that could happened actually did. In the case of Carl here something dreadful has happened. Peeps - Send donations to [email protected]. Also, any donation to the forum ([email protected]) will go directly to support Carl from today. I will keep the thread updated with donations. Cheers, Rob.
Every little helps Carl, Thank You. Hi Rob, I think facts are still a little thin on the ground but from what I understand it was a motorbike accident on Koh Samui, but he had to be moved to a private hospital in Bangkok as the State hospitals could not cope with his severe condition. They are still waiting for him to be stable enough to be signed off as 'fit to fly' and then hopefully they can get him back to the UK on a stretcher on a commercial flight. Otherwise they will have to organise an Air Ambulance team to bring him back, which is when the costs which are already stratospheric will go into Orbit! They also have a Facebook page and a Twitter page going if people want to follow. Thank you again for your support....
Back to the top... please all have a look to see if you can spare anything - every little helps. Thanks all. Rob.
LATEST ON CARL FROM HIS MUM Today I saw my son Carl for the first time in 20 months, wasn't the reunion I had planned, I was petrified if I'm honest, wanted so much to walk into his room and see him awake and smiling, but seeing him lie there in a bed wired up to machines just broke my heart. I managed to keep quite good control really I bit my tongue to stop the tears, I couldnt risk that he may be hearing me cry. But as I write this the tears are flowing, never felt so helpless as a mother in my life, nothing I can do can change anything, I held his hand, I stroked his hair through my fingers and told him how much I and everyone loved him, and what all his amazing friends were doing and how so many people who had never met him were being so kind, how his plight had touched the hearts of so many beautiful people, people we will be forever grateful too. I watched as a physiotherapist carefully moved all his joints, she showed me how to exercise his hands so I could be involved, such a sweet lady, then she used a vibrating pad across his chest but she could only do his left side as his right side was too fragile she said, probably it was his right lung that had collapsed, then she put all these different supports on his legs and feet, all vital to prevent further problems. For me this was the first time I had been in an Intensive Care Unit - I pray to God its the last, and for all you young adventurous people I ask please please wear a helmet if you ride a bike of any sort, push bikes included, and any parent with kiddies when you buy that new bike buy a helmet at the same time, and if they won't wear the helmet they don't ride the bike !!! They did a spinal tap procedure today, it's done in the back, the Doctor showed me the brain scans, he tried to explain, I doubt I could relay any of it to you, felt panicky everytime something bleeped, but soon got to understand it wasn't anything serious, but was relieved to see a nurse pop in when it did, so that was good. I have to say the nurses are lovely so is the Doctor, the prognosis from them hasnt changed, still a long, long journey to recovery. Spoke to the Air Medic people today, we have 3 days to confirm a booking for September 6th, thats a flight from Samui via Bangkok and back to the UK, but if we book that date and then the Doctors decide he is not well enough to travel we will be charged a hefty cancellation fee, if we dont book/use that date its the end of September before there's another space, I have had a quote for chartering a flight back to Bangkok, its approx £8,500, they haven't yet confirmed what the availability is out of Bangkok "only" I'm hoping the options are better, its so frustrating I want a date. Thank you all for your support. I did a live radio show for Radio Europe today, mostly listened to by British people living in Spain, Hannah interviewed me and she gave me the opportunity to mention the web page. I just want Carl back home as soon as possible now xxxxxxxxxxxx SUNDAY 21ST AUGUST Carl's condition remains stable. His brother, Marc, has been there for the last few days and Marilyn and Glen are flying out today. It looks like we won't be able to arrange a flight home until the 9th September but are still looking into options. ONE WEEK ON First and foremost a huge thank you to everybody, both organisers and donators. In the first week, since the launch of the website, we've raised over £8,000 and have had a staggering 10,000 unique visits to the home page alone. SATURDAY 20TH AUGUST Carl's brother Marc, who has been at Carl's bedside, reports there's no real change. The hospital are going to do a procedure called a brain tap, which is to release pressure. The Thai doctor says Carl could fly now but only with a ventilator. Scheduled airlines won't, or rarely, let patient passengers fly if still requiring ventilators, so Marc will ask when Carl will start to be weaned off the ventilator, and how long this usually takes. We have now asked for quotes for an air ambulance from Koh Samui to Bangkok as another way of geting Carl home quicker, the biggest problem being lack of available scheduled flights on that leg of the journey, it has also been suggested that we don't wait until the 9th September and that we maybe move Carl sooner and into a hospital in Bangkok as we have had a hospital there recommended to us that is equally as good but a lot less expensive. However we would want to be 100% sure of that before making that decision. So still no news really on when Carl comes home. THURSDAY 18TH AUGUST Carl has had another little set back, and needs further antibiotics, apparently the bleeding from his ears has caused a brain infection, but I am assured it is being treated. It made my heart sink. Marc says he has a good colour, and he didn't mean his tan, and said he coughs. He has a tube collecting saliva, but sometimes I guess it misses a bit. The doctors say he could fly out on a ventilator now, but obviously we can't get a flight. The doctor suggested chartering a small plane off Samui, to Bangkok: we think we can get a flight from around the 9th out of Bangkok, so it's maybe worth considering, because two extra weeks in the hospital would cost more than £8k which is what he seems to think it would cost. So I shall talk to Medi Aviation this morning. Thank you everyone for your continued support and all the hard work. The generousity of both time and money from you all is astounding, Thank you with all my heart xxxxx Marilyn MEDIA ATTENTION IS MOUNTING Marilyn appeared on ITV's Daybreak on the 18th August and on Granada Radio station on the 17th. There are also stories being printed in newspapers around the country. The Manchester Evening News, Aldershot News, Farnborough News and Camberley News will all be running the story. International travel website travelfish.org has published a post. Other internet sources such as Camberley People are following the story and Tweeting updates to their followers. There has also been a post on bike enthusiasts forum 1000rr.co.uk, and one of our team is attending the Big Brother launch on the 18th waving a poster! EVENTS Posters and invites for up and coming events are avialible in the download section of the site. Please print out and post around your work places and schools. WEDNESDAY 17TH AUGUST CARLS CONDITION Carl's condition has remained unchanged for the pass couple of days, how ever plans to fly him back on the 23rd August is looking likely to be pushed back until 9th September. I will update you as I hear more. BBC The BBC have been in contact and are due to do a piece on Carl. Details to follow. OVER £5K HAS NOW BEEN RAISED! Thank you everyone for your continuing support. 11K RUN IN AID OF CARL Greg Brogan, a very good friend of Carl's and the rest of the family, is due to do an 11K run in Singapore this coming weekend. "It's going to be 11K of quite hilly terrain in 30c heat and 90% humidity. It will certainly be a challenge!! I'd like to run this in Carl's honour" Greg will be doing his run on Sunday 21st August. Information about the run can be found on the organiser's website. If you would like to donate in support of Greg and his efforts to help Carl please click here. SATURDAY 13TH AUGUST: An xray this morning showed slight signs of infection in Carl's lungs so they are going to decide if they need to increase the antibiotics or not. His right lung has also slightly collapsed because there is air very slowly escaping his lung causing a build up of pressure. They think the cause of it is where the tube to measure the ventilation has been inserted it has caused a minute tear on it's way in. He showed me this on the Xray. This is very common apparently and unavoidable it just happens by chance. What they need to do is insert a small tube into the side of his chest, very minor procedure and done at his bedside. This allows the air to escape and they may also apply negative pressure to help the lung with the process of inflation. They estimate a couple for days for it to be normal and there is a chance it may collapse a little more before it gets better. Since yesterday he has had a slight problem with feeding. He is not producing enough stomach acid which can be an effect of the pressure or swelling of the brain stem. This usually subsides and resolves itself after around the 7 day mark when the swelling goes down and the doctor does not seem worried. He had another CT scan today which I was there for. The scan showed that there is no increase in pressure and no further bleeding so this is great news as the 5 day mark is usually where they see the swelling at it's worst. They also did an artery and blood vessel scan which showed no signs of any vessel damaige within the brain so more good news! Carl is able to breath on his own, he has been since the accident, however they need to keep him on a ventilator to control the levels of Carbon Dioxide which can increase if he is left to his own devices at the moment. Information supplied by Greg Brogan, who's been at Carl's bed side.
Thanks for posting the update Rob. Also anyone who is local, please check out the events page and turn up to an event in support. If you don't live locally, then please buy some raffle tickets or bid in the up coming auction (there are some amazing things up for grabs).
