Kyle's Neck Is Injured

Last night, Anne got a call from Kyle's wife Diane telling her that at a social event for charity, Kyle was in a Jacuzzi when a man weighing about 300 pounds, was getting into that Jacuzzi but as a shortcut, this man skipped the steps, and while stepping into the Jacuzzi he slipped and fell on Kyle.

Kyle's head was immediately forced under water but he was able to come back up. However, his left arm and hand were numb. He had no feeling in them. Diane cradled Kyle's neck until the paramedics arrived. The paramedics put him on a protective platform which also immobilized (protected) his neck and rushed him to the Torrance Memorial Medical Center emergency room.

Our youngest son Clayton, a top emergency room physician had also been called and he was on his way to the hospital. When Clayton arrived, he and the doctor treating Kyle quickly recognized each other from their UCLA days and Clayton was supportive of this doctor and of Kyle, who began to regain a sense of feeling in his left arm and hand.

At the time of the call from Diane to Anne, Anne was driving her mother Mary, 89 to the Saturday night dinner Anne and I host each week. I was driving Fay Ward, 97 to that dinner. We quickly got together and I took Mary to join Fay and me for dinner, while Anne raced to the hospital. I kept my cell phone with me to receive updates.

These wonderful ladies wait all week for this dinner and we didn't want to cancel it at the last second if I could still attend the dinner. Meanwhile, I would be on alert. Clayton subsequently called and texted with updates, and Thank God Kyle incurred no serious injury, he will be fine.

After the dinner, I took Mary and Fay home and went to the hospital. But Kyle was released from the hospital just before I arrived. I called him when I got home, and we spoke at length. During the conversation, he said if that man, aged 65 to 70 hadn't fallen on him, he would have fallen onto the paving alongside the Jacuzzi or into the Jacuzzi with nothing to break his fall and he would likely have been seriously hurt.

After listening to Kyle and his marvelous energetic voice and sharp mind, I felt much better. I thanked God for Kyle's well-being and for the well-being of that other gentleman as well.

Dick