Before a barbecue dinner with his family, Michael Hooky Walker took his Harley-Davidson for a spin. However, he never came back for that dinner.
He was unfortunately involved in a motorcycle crash which happened in mid-Canterbury, around 6.45pm and was transported by air to the Christchurch Hospital because he was in a critical condition.
It was upon his wife’s insisting that they call a Westpack Rescue helicopter because she didn’t think her husband could survive the 90-minute ride in an ambulance to the hospital.
His step-daughter, Skye McCormack, explained that her stepdad had brain bleeding, several rib fracture, several spinal fractures, a collapsed lung, and femur fractures.
Walker Was in the ICU, Waiting for a Third Surgery
After he was transported to the hospital, he was placed in the ICU and scheduled for a third surgery.
According to McCormack, his wife, Jo, was with him all the time, since the crash. She dealt with this horrible accident like she always deals with things-with strength, kindness, love, and dedication.
The family expected to have Walker woken up in the week that followed so that the staff could assess the brain activity and begin the recovery process. While in a coma, he had 2 sepsis infections that he survived.
The doctors told the family that they didn’t expect him to survive. He was living hour to hour.
But, he fought and made it- he survived the operations and woke up from the coma. His sister and father travelled from Ireland to see him. He remembers starting to cry; he couldn’t yet talk, but he gave him an eyebrow raise and cried some more.
The family set up a Givealittle page for donations that would help them travel and see him in the hospital and also stay there because they live in Lake Coleridge Village.
After he woke up from the coma, Walker said that if his wife didn’t insist on the air ambulance, he wouldn’t probably be here. He says she saved his life.
Together with his wife, Walker volunteers for the SSAANZ, a community for serving and ex-serving personnel from the defence forces. And, he’s also a trustee.
A New Normal & Regaining Strength
Before Christmas last year, they released him from the hospital and he’s on the road to recovery with the help of his family. He’s taking things slowly and regaining strength.
He explains that he’s really sensitive when it comes to his wife and how she feels about him riding his bike again, one day.
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