Everything to Live For: The Inspirational Story of Turia Pitt (15 page)

When Turia moved to the Burns Unit it had been decided to continue limiting visitors to family and a couple of close friends: Turia’s days were full and she wasn’t up to visitors anyway. But in December, her good friend and former Kununurra flatmate Mary flew over to see her. She sat on Turia’s bed and the two of them hugged and laughed. Turia was very happy to see her and Michael was delighted to hear Turia laugh again. She had always laughed a lot – a bright, and lovely laugh.

Turia was keen to see her brothers, and the boys were keen to see their big sister too, but Célestine still thought it best to wait before letting them visit; she took letters from them to Turia instead. Turia wanted to reply and to write the letters herself so the inventive occupational therapist fitted her hand with a splint in which a pen could be inserted. But it was heavy going and she became very frustrated so she dictated her letters to Célestine and proofread them before she let her mother take them home.

Dear Heimanu

How have you been? I miss you so much. I remember when you were a little baby and you were so cute. Now you are fifteen and I don’t know where the time has gone. You’ve lost your cuteness but I guess some could say you’re a handsome boy.

What’s this about you mooning your teacher and friends? I’m glad you got suspended but I can still see the funny side. Me, I’m doing well and my days are full on with visits from the physiotherapists, the speech therapist and the nurses. It’s good than I’m busy. The days go fast and Mum and Michael are here. So then I eat Mum’s cooking and watch Sea Change. I love you heaps! Can’t wait to see you.

Sissy

Turia had defied the survival odds. Once she arrived in the Burns Unit, her progress was testament to some steely determination: her own, foremostly, and that of the other two amigos. The next hurdle was to get Turia strong enough to spend Christmas at Genji and Angela’s. Initially Célestine thought it would all be too much for Turia and suggested they set up a special Christmas dinner at the hospital.

‘No, Mum, I really want to go out.’

Michael and Célestine had a meeting with the head nurse and explained Turia’s rock-solid determination to go out on Christmas Day; how could they achieve this? The nurse listed the issues that Turia would need to face: first, there were three flights of stairs to get to Genji’s unit so Turia would have to get stronger at climbing stairs; she would also have to learn how to get in and out of the car; and she would also have to see her face.

In a car, in a Genji’s bathroom . . . in fact almost anywhere outside the hospital, there were going to be mirrors, reflections that couldn’t be avoided. Celestine wanted to shield Turia from this moment for as long as she could – at least until she felt she was ready to confront the profound change in her appearance.

Seeing her face for the first time since the fire was going to be a major shock. Célestine worried about Turia’s reaction. When Turia first started walking along the corridor, Célestine would position herself diplomatically so that Turia could not see her reflection anywhere and she shielded her from mirrors too. Célestine had witnessed Turia’s tears through every step of the painful rehabilitation; she wanted her to wait until she was stronger emotionally before that particular hurdle. Turia knew her face had been grafted but she had no idea what she looked like. Whenever she’d ask about her face everyone was careful to be a little non-committal – yes, she looked a bit different but the doctors would fix it up; she’d get a new nose and there would be more operations on her lips. And she still had hair and that was a plus.

Part of the scar treatment was daily massage and Michael and Célestine had both been instructed in the correct massage techniques to use on Turia’s arms and face; during Célestine’s ‘on week’ she massaged her daughter’s face at night – a special mother–daughter connection, which both found comforting. One day Turia asked to see her face reflected in the window; Michael thought it was okay and was ready to agree but Célestine immediately stood in front of the window.

‘Step away from the window, Mum.’

Célestine refused; she did not think the timing was right. ‘What do you think, Michael?’ she asked.

‘I think you should listen to your mum,’ he told Turia.

But it was only a matter of time; not long after, Turia asked her father to bring in her iPad and there it was, her face reflected on the screen.

She had cried before since arriving at Concord – with pain, with frustration, with fear. This time she cried inconsolably for an hour. There was nothing Michael and her father could do or say that made her feel better.

Adding to Turia’s agony was the discovery that she was vain enough to care; she was disappointed to find that it mattered that her beautiful looks had gone; she never thought she would be that person.

Seeing her face meant that the hardest of the three requirements for getting out for Christmas Day was over; next was some serious stair-climb training. Célestine put a photo of an athlete in the room and told her daughter she had to rebuild herself to become athletic again. Turia had graduated from catching the elevator up after walking one flight down; she was now wearing flat shoes and had mastered the wobbles in them. The aim was to get all the way down seven flights of stairs to the ground floor and back up again.

Turia’s efforts on the stairs became a regular sight at the hospital, where the three amigos were already a fixture – the nurses used to joke that Michael and Célestine should move in. Célestine did actually move into the hospital’s on-site hostel when she was in Sydney during the weeks before Christmas. She and Michael ramped up their efforts with Célestine doing the morning shift and Michael coming in the afternoon.

After she had mastered the stairs, Turia had a practice go at getting in and out of Michael’s small car. It was her first time out of hospital and she wore her black face mask and compression garments, which she was still adjusting to wearing. They went to a local park and had a picnic. It was exhausting but Turia’s determined core never wavered. The three amigos had made another step forward.

Dear Toriki,

How are you my crazy little brother? Today Michael bought me some inspirational clothing; for example a shirt with ‘Believe you can do it’ on the front. So believing I could do it, I tried to walk on uneven ground and I stumbled, failing to catch my steps and I fell but Michael caught me. I was ten centimetres away from the ground. Michael really saved the day but unfortunately he caught me on the sorest part of my chest which resulted in your sister and your Mum yelling at him. But we all had a laugh after it, Mum the most; Mum always laughs the most.

So Christmas! How awesome it’s going to be! I can’t wait to see Genji and Angela’s place, and you two of course. Also pretty keen to see the presents you guys got me (hehehe). The best presents would be a big kiss from my brothers, Toriki and Heimanu.

Love you, infinitely.

Sissy

Christmas Day 2011 arrived and Michael and Célestine helped prepare Turia for her big day ‘out’. She had to wear her compression garments but Célestine put her in a colourful long-sleeved top. They arrived at Genji and Angela’s; John and the boys were already there waiting for the big arrival. With Michael and Célestine supporting her and John pushing from the rear they helped Turia up the stairs while the others stood at the top cheering her on. When she finally arrived she cried – this time from happiness.

After an hour Michael drove her back to hospital. Another milestone achieved; the next step was to get Turia well enough to go home.

Turia’s hands were slow to heal and she had limited movement with them but she continually challenged herself to learn ways to compensate for other movements. Occupational therapy involved working at a variety of activities, such as carrying rings, pegs and fine motor puzzles, all of which were aimed at helping tighten the pincer grip she had with the remaining fingers on her left hand. Frank, her physiotherapist, put her through a regimen of exercises and stretches to strengthen her muscles and movements.

Turia gradually became involved in taking off the dressings on her chest and moisturising the areas she could reach on her legs and torso and as the weeks went by she became more adept at other activities, such as collecting linen and making her bed and moving things around the room. Occupational therapists had made a special long-handled spoon so Turia could feed herself but she found eating even three mouthfuls a challenge and a frustration.

Friday 3 February 2012 was a big day at the Burns Unit. The nursing staff and everyone else who had come to know the gutsy Turia during her five-month stay, and her struggle to survive, popped in to say goodbye and wish her well. Michael and Célestine then helped Turia into the little blue car for the drive from the hospital to a local rehabilitation centre. Her discharge papers included wound and scar management plans, physiotherapy and occupational therapy instructions and a set of compression garments, including three black face masks. She weighed 45 kilograms and her 178-centimetre frame was stooped like an old woman’s – exactly as Professor Maitz had warned Michael all those weeks earlier – but she was out!

O
VER THE MONTHS OF
T
URIA’S FIGHT FOR LIFE IN HOSPITAL
, Michael and the Pitt family became increasingly bewildered by what they saw as a completely insensitive response by RacingthePlanet to the tragedy. In a one-page letter addressed to the ‘Dear Family of Turia Pitt’ and dated 10 September 2011 – one week after the event – Mary Gadams wrote of her ‘deep concern’ for Turia’s injuries. Everyone at RacingthePlanet was ‘shocked’ that it could have happened and had Turia ‘constantly’ in their ‘thoughts and prayers’.

Given the serious nature of Turia’s medical condition, the letter continued, Mary Gadams had asked RtP’s medical director for the race, Dr Brandee Waite, to be the channel of communications with the family in case they wished to make contact with RtP. At the same time it had been internally reviewing all the events surrounding the tragedy to make sure it could explain as ‘accurately as possible’ how Turia came to be injured.

The letter went on to say that contrary to the tone of many of the press reports in Australia, RtP had undertaken ‘comprehensive management and risk assessment’ planning for the event and put proper risk and emergency procedures in place. The letter stated that in all its discussions in the run-up to the event ‘not a single mention was made to us, or warning given, that scattered grass fires which are common in the Kimberley at this time of the year had the potential to flare up and pose a hazard to the event’.

She listed all the precautions they had taken and added that while she was devastated that none of them had stopped the tragedy from happening, ‘at least we were able to get help to Turia as soon as possible given the rugged nature of the terrain’.

That comment in particular incensed Michael; how could anyone think four hours was ‘as soon as possible’?

The RtP owner said she knew the family’s focus would be on Turia’s recovery but offered to come to Sydney any time to meet them and discuss what had happened; she gave a contact number. (Kate’s family got a similar letter.)

After this Michael received several phone calls from Brandee Waite, who had returned to the United States, asking for updates. After not checking his email for a couple of days he found he had two consecutive emails from Dr Waite informing him that Mary Gadams wanted to do a
60 Minutes
story on the ‘amazing recovery effort’.

Michael’s return email expressed his extreme disappointment about the way RtP was handling matters: Turia was fighting for her life and they wanted to do a
60 Minutes
story! He said he no longer wanted to hear from Waite because he thought attention was being taken away from Turia. Dr Waite said she understood and would pass on his disappointment to Mary.

The Pitt family were further upset by a Christmas card sent to Turia signed by Mary Gadams and members of the RtP staff; did they really think Turia wanted a cheery Christmas wish? Even a bunch of flowers would have been more appropriate.

The next communication Michael had from the RtP owner was an email on 12 January 2012, saying that she had heard from Brandee Waite that Turia’s family no longer wanted to be contacted, which she thought was entirely understandable given their focus would be on providing support for Turia. She hoped the family had received her letter explaining what happened in the ‘tragic accident’. Mary Gadams asked Michael if he and Turia’s family would like to meet her to answer any additional questions they might have when she was visiting Australia in two weeks.

Michael responded with an email the following day:

Hi Mary

Ok I’ll start by the following, where has RacingthePlanet support been for Turia? Simple question. Turia received a Christmas card from you guys which really rubbed salt into our wounds! I will not vent anger towards you through words as it will not achieve anything. You must be a clever and professional person being the founder of RacingthePlanet. Therefore I would assume you are a reasonable person. However, where has your support, acknowledgement and responsibility been?

Circumstances would have been made easier if you were able to acknowledge what happened and taken some responsibility. I will meet with you if you are going to support Turia in her journey to recovery. However, if you are only going to try and explain to me what you guys did to prevent this from happening I am not interested. I am only presuming you will do this as there has been lack of support for Turia, so I could be wrong.

Turia has lost all fingers on her right hand, her elbows are fused and she cannot touch her face or feed herself. Turia is totally dependent!

If you are willing to help yes let’s meet up; if not, enjoy your time in Sydney.

Thanks

Turia’s Family and Michael Hoskin

Mary Gadams replied on 13 January saying she ‘completely understood’ that they didn’t want to meet to discuss the event itself but she wanted to get a clearer picture of any concerns they might have and that a meeting would be useful to get a clearer idea of ‘the issues would be useful’.