It’s an unconventional reunion: the anniversary of a dark day that marked the start of something truly incredible.
“It is actually a celebration of his survival, really,” said Pam Davis. She’s the mother of now 29-year-old Brandon Chase.
He and his family marked his ‘survival anniversary’ by meeting with the first responders and other care providers who helped save his life.
“He tried to die on us a few times that day. And we wouldn’t let him,” said John Doyle, a member of the STARS Air Ambulance medical crew on June 27, 2015.
Chase flat-lined during that seven-minute flight from Highway 1A, west of Calgary, to the Foothills Medical Centre.
He was the passenger in a car that made an illegal U-turn and was struck by oncoming traffic. He didn’t know the driver had been drinking and wouldn’t understand the gravity of what happened until much later.
But his mother — travelling to the hospital to be at his side — did.
“I had a black dress because I thought I could be going to a funeral,” said Davis.
Chase spent three weeks in a coma, many more months in the surgical unit and years in rehab and physio.
“I opened my eyes. I couldn’t speak I couldn’t move a single part of my body,” Chase recalled.
Slowly, Chase re-learned how to speak, sit up, walk and even run.
“It’s never easy, right? Life is never easy. But it’s worth it,” said Chase.
“Life is worth it. And I’ve got a story to tell.”
He still suffers from a brain injury, leaving him without inhibition. And he’ll do just about anything for a moment of your time.
Chase took a break from Tuesday’s reunion to chat with members of the landscaping crew working at Stanley Park.
“Stop! In the name of love!” Chase sings as he makes his approach. He introduces himself and begins to tell his story.
“People often think I’m drunk, right? And often I feel drunk. Even though I’m not drunk. And that can be challenging,” said Chase.
But it’s a discomfort that he knows pales in comparison to what could have been.
“I was hit by an SUV. Nothing can hurt me.”
Gifted with a second life, Chase is determined to make the most of it — one conversation at a time.
“I hope no one goes through what I’ve been through. Take an Uber or a taxi. You can say you helped save a life,” said Chase.
“It’s not worth the risk. Not worth it.”