NZ Wed Jul 15th 5:00pm

In an earlier post, I mentioned the kind, generous and compassionate people of the Nelson area. I hope I can remember them all. I apologize to anyone I've omitted. These are the facts as best I can remember them. I apologize for any details I've butchered.

I received a call from a woman early on in my stay in the general ward. She said she was from the state of Washington, here on holiday (vacation) I think. She had heard the story and called to see if there was anything she could do. I politely told her everything was under control and thanked her for the kind offer. Turns out her's was just the first such offer.

My roommate for most of my stay was a local gentleman recovering from hip surgery. His wife visited often and each time stopped by my bed to say hello. She always wanted to know if I needed anything. I think she grew tired of hearing no and decided to do something anyways. One day she brought a bag of delicious fruit ... apples, oranges and grapes.

Nearly every person that visited my roommate stopped long enough to say hello, then asked about my family and offered their best wishes for our speedy recoveries.

The proprietors of the establishment where we spent the night before the accident sent a thoughtful Get Well card.

One day I discovered a large package of goodies ... cookies, candy, fruit, etc. I think it came from Victim Support.

A woman stopped in for a visit one day. Turns out the accident happened near her home and she and some co-workers were our 'first responders'. She provided some facts I hadn't heard before. She had first-hand knowledge of the great work they do at the Hutt Hospital. She assured me that Dave and LuAnn were in very capable hands.

One of the Victim Support volunteers stopped at a local establishment on his way to visit me. He selected a hard-bound book of photography titled "NEW ZEALAND Land of Many Contrasts". I couldn't see New Zealand so he was going to bring some of its beauty to me. It was a great idea. At the checkout they discovered why he was making the purchase and refused to take his money. The book was free.

Sarah spent three nights in the Nelson Hospital. After her discharge, she stayed close to the hospital to keep me company for a day or so. She was waiting for a flight from Nelson to Wellington where she could be close to Dave and LuAnn at the Hutt Hospital. Within an hour of her departure, a phone call came to the ward inquiring if I would like any visitors. The caller was a man from Colorado now living in the area. When he arrived he asked if I needed anything. I explained that Sarah had just left and I wished I had thought to have her get a cell phone for me. He disappeared for ten minutes or so. When he returned, he handed me a cell phone (his) and told me keep it for as long as I needed it. Later that night his wife stopped by with the phone charger and a container of delicious, homemade cookies.

None of these people knew me or my family. They heard our story and decided to take time from their own busy lives to help us.