1. For as far back as I can remember, my son Ryan could notwait to get behind the wheel of a car. He applied for his driverspermit at 9 a.m. on his 16th birthday, booked his Australian li-cense test for precisely one year later, December 14, 1993, andgot a near-perfect score. That was the day my husband Gary and Igave Ryan an "old but good" Ford Laser hatchback. The carseemed ideal for him
a gasoline miser and reasonably cheap torepair.
2. Ryan was a typical 17-year-old with a teen-agers enthusi-asm for life. He played tennis and cricket and enjoyed any sport onTV. Tall and lanky with an ever-present grin, he had a wonderfulsense of humor and was gaining an appreciation of girls. He lovedfiddling with computers and often fixed problems with our town-planning consultancys computer system.
3. Ryan was mature for his age, as single children often are, and took his studies seriously. He had set his mind on doing well in the Higher School Certificate in 1994 and had taken coaching in math over the Christmas break. On Australia Day 1994, about a week before school was due to resume, he wanted to spend a few days with a friend who had moved from a nearby suburb to north- west Sydney. We agreed, but urged him to drive carefully. "Dont worry, Morn. "he said, smiling, as he packed a bag and grabbed the car keys.
4. At 3:20 p.m. Ryan lost control of the car on a bend near his destination and slid onto the gravel shoulder. Trying to avoid a pole, he spun the wheel furiously, and the car somersaulted. Police believe he was speeding.
5. Ryan was rushed to a Sydney hospital by helicopter. We ar- rived lust as he was being wheeled, unconscious, into the emergencyroom with bandages around his head. We were ushered to a waitingroom. Then the nightmare began.
6. The first doctors words were a blur. I heard somethingabout head injury, pressure on the brain and the need for an imme-diate operation. In the hours that followed, I half expected Ryan towalk through the door, grin and say, "Sorry, Mom and Dad, Imokay now. " Instead, we waited and waited. Finally a surgeon cameby. Grim-faced, he shook his head. "Sorry," he said. "Theres nohope. "
7. When I looked at Ryan in intensive care, I thought my heartwould break. My beloved cheeky, confident, athletic son was lyingmotionless on a bed. A respirator pushed air into his lungs, andneedles and tubes fed fluids into his veins. Blipping heartbeat andblood-pressure monitors surrounded him. His beautiful brown eyeswere open but vacant, staring at the ceiling.
8. Gary called in additional experts. The prognosis was alwaysthe same. The only active part of his brain was the centre control-ling breathing. Once life-support equipment was removed, doctorsexplained, 1Ryan would continue to breathe on his own for a fewdays, but even this function would soon shut down. We were shat-tered, and our hearts were broken. We realized it was time to saygood-bye.
9. Friends and relatives besieged the hospital to farewell Ry-an. Then at 4 a. m. , nine days after the accident, when all wasquiet with only Gary and me at his side,our son gently took his lastbreath.
10. At the funeral the church overflowed with school friendsand teachers. On the curve where the accident happened, aclassmate placed a white cross. Shortly afterward, the roads au-thority replaced the 80-kilometer-per-hour road sign with one say-ing 65.
II. I know every youngster thinks, it wont happen to me. Iwish that were so. But each year too many under 25s die on theroad. Speed and alcohol are not the major causes of these acci-dents Ryan was not a drinker. The real killer is a deadly mix ofinexperience and overconfidence.
12. My message to every young person is: you are not a com-petent driver simply because you have a drivers license. Theresnothing in the license test that shows a young driver how to reactto a dangerous situation in a split second, or what to do when yourcar is out of control. At 17 you may feel invincible. But please, re-member that, each week, good, responsible young adults like ourson are killed because of simple errors of judgment. You get nosecond chance.
13. We miss Ryan. Our home, once full of laughter, nowdeafens us with its silence. I would give anything to hear, oncemore, "Hi Morn, Im home. "
14. If you know a young driver, show him or her this article.It may save a life.
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