Getting a leg up
CRAIGAVON – MANY hearts were touched after reading about Ryan Harvey who fell victim to a horrid accident which caused him to lose his left leg.
Harvey was travelling on his motorcycle on Douglas Drive when he accidentally collided with another vehicle. His left leg got caught between the motorcycle and the car, causing a severe injury.
Concerned friends of Harvey contacted Fourways Review not long after and appealed for witnesses to the accident to come forward in order to strengthen his third party insurance claim, which in turn, yielded positive results.
The article inspired Fourways resident, Von Krause of the Toyota Advanced Driving team to arrange a meeting between Harvey and Dave Barr, a double amputee, motivational speaker and adventure enthusiast.
“I believe that Dave will inspire this young man for this new challenge that he faces,” said Krause.
The meeting finally took place at Harvey’s residence in Craigavon on 16 May and Harvey was more than happy to meet with Barr, who brought copies of his books called Riding the Edge and Riding the Ice for Harvey to read while he is still recovering.
Barr, originally from California, lost both his legs after stepping on a landmine while fighting for the South African National Defence Force in Angola in 1981. Rather than wallow in self-pity, the veteran decided to do something worthwhile with his life. He had his Harley Davidson motorcycle modified so that he could ride it with his prosthetic legs and has since been riding around the world raising funds for the disabled.
“Your future is still as big as you are going to make it,” Barr said to Harvey. “You still have your whole life ahead of you. I know what a horrible inconvenience this is, but it’s not the end, it’s the beginning, in fact, it’s something completely new and different.”
Apart from discussing their mutual love of classic motorcycles, Barr also gave Harvey advice on the different kinds of prostheses he should look out for in future and how to keep himself fit by doing moderate exercise. Barr emphasised the importance of improving upper body strength in order to alleviate stress between the limb and prosthesis.
Harvey, an avid sailor, said he would like to recover enough so that he can do what he loves. “As long as I will be able to sail again, I’ll be happy,” laughed Harvey, brimming with positivity.
“You’ll be just fine,” Barr added.
Harvey stated that he would like to extend his deep gratitude to the witnesses who contacted him and also to his employer, South African Breweries in Sandton, for their full support and for patiently waiting for him to recover so that he could resume his job as a content specialist.
“They have been amazing,” said Harvey.
Lastly, he wanted to thank the doctor who stopped to help him after the accident.
“He saved my life by tying the tourniquet around my leg and was just so incredibly helpful.”
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