Doing a quick search, it doesn't look like he's posted here much
lately....but over in the Slowtwitch (triathlon) forum I saw the
following message about him and it might be of interest to those of you
who've been around here for at least a few years: (sorry for the length
but it's worth it)
To Slowtwitchers....please scroll to the end of these emails and read
backwards to get the story from the beginning....THANKS for anything
that you can send to this amazing triathlete that is truly going
through the IRONMAN of this life. Also, if you know of any pros or you
are a pro or you are an amazing triathlete age grouper or just an
amazing person.....and would like to send something to Andrew to make
his rehab that much faster and stronger through your encouragement - I,
for one, would think that you are a true triathlete with a heart of
gold and a huge amount of compassion. Mary James Mad Cows Racing Team
Vice President
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Mary, Thanks for the e-mail and your continued efforts. I saw my
brother this weekend and it brought tears to my eyes. He is back!!! He
looks normal once again (although he has never really been normal!!).
He was moved from the ICU this weekend and is hopefully being
discharged from the hospital before the weekend to go the country club
of rehab centers, Burke Rehab in Westchester. He is expected to be
there for several months. His white blood count is off so they are
looking for the source of infection. He has been fitted for a brace
until the hairline fractures on 3 or 4 of his vertabrae heal. This has
been delayed because the brace rubs against the pelvic scar. He was
helped out of bed on Monday for the first time in over 3 weeks but was
only able to stand assisted for 5 seconds before he broke out into a
sweat. Then yesterday he sat in a chair for 15 minutes. Progress comes
in baby steps. The family has rallied around him and it is amazing to
be part of such a unit. Andrew has been blown away by the outpouring of
love and support from people he knows and people he does not. A small
village in Africa congregated to pray for him by singing a song and
then had their picture taken with a get well sign! This was coordinated
by a friend of my brother's who is volunteering in that village. Then
Dave Scott's picture and words of wisdom came. Lydia Schlosser sent him
a handwritten one page letter and included her 1/2 ironman medal!! We
were all blown away by her support and givingness. My brother keeps
saying that he can't believe that these people whom he does not know
are taking the time to reach out to "little old me"! That Dave Scott or
Lydia or Beth would take time out of their day to think about him. He
is psyched to get the Mad Cow shirt on and get back on a bike! My
brother will recover from this and be a better person, doctor and
athlete because of such outpouring. I can't thank you enough. Nicole
and Tim Deboom's willingness to reach out is another example of the
incredible community of which you are apart. It is one thing to be an
amazing athlete. Perhaps it is another to be an amazing human being.
Perhaps there is a connection between the two. Thank you again, again
and again. Debbi
-----Original Message-----
From: Mary James [[email hidden]]
Sent: Wednesday, August 17, 2005 8:52 PM
To: Debbi G. Gilad
Subject: RE: IM Hawaii 2005 Lottery winner suffers traumatic injuries
in c rash
Debbie, I have heard from everyone except for Eric Heiden and Massimo
Testa. I will send the email again. Nicole Deboom wrote to tell me that
Tim and her were going to send a care package to your brother. It is a
big bummer that you haven't heard back from Ironman - they are
sometimes so busy this time of year that they don't respond until after
the race. Please let me know how your brother is doing in order to let
everyone else know. I think that your brother should be a Mad Cow now
since he is going to be such an awesome triathlete after going through
all of this.....the Mad Cows would be happy to have him and after all
we are sponsored by the UC Davis Sports Performance Lab which is where
Eric Heiden and Massimo Testa collaborate with athletes and rehab
athletes from around the world. Maybe your brother could come to CA and
get some rehab from Eric himself!! That would be great for him and for
Eric...especially if Eric wrote Ironman and requested that he get to
raincheck his lottery ticket until 2006. Thanks for the updates and I'm
glad that he is doing a little better, Let me know how he is when you
see him, Mary James Vice President Mad Cows Racing Team Davis, CA
Mary, Just wanted to share with you my brother's comment this morning.
He told the doctors and nurses this morning that he needs to get out
this hospital soon because he needs to train for Kona 2006!!!!! Dreams
can't come true without first formulating and believing in the dream!
Debbi
-----Original Message-----
From: Debbi G. Gilad
Sent: Wednesday, August 10, 2005 8:39 AM
To: 'Mary James'
Subject: RE: IM Hawaii 2005 Lottery winner suffers traumatic injuries
in crash
Mary, The Mad Cow's jersey is hanging in my brother's hospital room and
it looks great! Thank you. An autographed best wishes from Beth Zinkand
is also there! My brother's pelvis was repaired last week (surgery #2),
however, he developed a hematoma that required emergency surgery
(surgery #3). They drained out 4 liters of blood. Then yesterday, his
shattered cheekbone was repaired (surgery #4). We think that is the end
of the surgeries and major crises. Now comes his hard work of getting
strong and rehabing. The doctors are talking about 4-6 months of hard
work. I am heading back to NY Friday night for the weekend so I am
expecting to see an improved brother since my visit 2 weeks ago in
which he was attached to a respirator and "out". Again, thank you for
your efforts. We did not hear from the Ironman org so I am hoping that
they do what they do "silently", such as the deferral or sending
something to my brother. I was also hoping that we would have heard
from Eric Heiden, particularly since he and my brother are in the same
field. Perhaps he is away on vacation. Any "nudge" you can give would
be appreciated. I did hear from Dave Scott with incredible advice and
he said he would send a picture out. That is worth more than medicine
sometimes. Thanks again. Debbi
Debbi Gilad, J.D.
Research Compliance and Integrity Officer
Office of Research
University of California Davis
402 Mrak Hall
Davis, CA 95616
Tel: (530) 754-6473
Fax: (530) 752-0623
[email hidden]
-----Original Message-----
From: Mary James [[email hidden]]
Sent: Thursday, July 28, 2005 6:04 AM
To: [email hidden]
Subject: Fw: IM Hawaii 2005 Lottery winner suffers traumatic injuries
in crash
-----Forwarded by Mary James/PCS/HS/UCD on 07/28/2005 06:04AM -----
From: Mary James/PCS/HS/UCD
Date: 07/28/2005 02:57AM
Subject: IM Hawaii 2005 Lottery winner suffers traumatic injuries in
crash
Ironman Hawaii 2005 Lottery winner suffers traumatic injuries after
being hit by a car while training for his greatest dream Just wanted to
forward this email to all of you in hopes that you would possibly help
my friend Debbi Gilad's brother recover from this most traumatic crash.
Please scroll down to read about Andrew's crash. Debbi told me by phone
that her brother, Andrew, would really appreciate anything that has to
do with triathlon. I figured out of all my contacts and acquaintances
you all might be able to help me out with these types of items and
maybe be able to sign your autograph on something for Andrew.
Apparently Andrew has always thought of Eric (Heiden) as one of his
sports heroes and Debbi was too shy to email you, Eric, directly to ask
if you could sign something and send it to her brother, who is just
barely on his way out of the critical stages of recovery from his
extensive injuries. As for all the rest of you that I have included in
this email.....Andrew has followed triathlon long enough to know your
names and would love to have a hospital room full of triathlon
memorabilia to wake up to when he awakens and realizes what has
happened. So, I have sent him a Mad Cows Racing Team cycling jersey
(medium) to wear through his many months of rehab that awaits him after
an open book pelvic fracture. Please send Andrew something to help him
through his recovery and rehab if you have the time and if you work for
Ironman/WTC (Diana B. and Blair L.) please consider this athlete for
the 2006 amazing comeback stories of the year or maybe 2007 as he might
still be recovering in October 2006. Thank you for your time and please
read the forwarded email from Andrew's sister, Debbi Gilad. Thanks,
Mary James, RN, BSN, MICN UCDMC ER/Trauma Center
-----Forwarded by Mary James/PCS/HS/UCD on 07/27/2005 10:01PM -----
To: "[email hidden]'" <[email hidden]>
From: Mary James/PCS/HS/UCD
Sent by: "Debbi G. Gilad" <[email hidden]>
Date: 07/27/2005 04:19PM
Subject: RE: Badly Injured Triathlete
Mary,
My brother is Andrew Haas. He is 36, a recent newlywed. He is an
orthopedic
surgeon and provides medical attention to various local sports teams
and
athletes. He has been doing marathons for years (NY and Boston) and has
done
several 1/2 ironmans. He made it into this years Ironman via the
lottery and
was incredibly excited. Despite being a newlywed, his wife supported
this
endeavor and he set off on training actively and it was going really
well,
until a driver hit him while he was on his bike. The preliminary police
report indicates that that the driver was at fault by not yielding. My
brother was brought into the hospital unconscious and is still sedated
so we
have yet to hear from him (assuming he remembers anything).
His medical injuries are extensive. He has a separated and broken
pelvis
which will require additional surgery to stabilize internally with
plates.
He had emergency surgery immediately after the accident to stabilize
the
pelvis by constructing an external contraption. He also had a collapsed
lung. After the surgery, there were complications as a result of
internal
bleeding. The source of the bleeding was not found so they gave him a
clotting agent which eventually helped. He received 19 bags of blood.
He was
finally transferred today to the Westchester Medical Trauma Center in
New
York and pending a full medical assessment, he will be operated on to
repair
the pelvis. He also shattered his cheekbone which will require
additional
surgery. At this time, the injuries are no longer life threatening as
it
appears that that risk has thankfully passed. In addition to his
physical
injuries, the disappointment, anger and eventual depression associated
with
not being able to be at the starting line in Kona will be huge for him.
I am
hoping that inspiration from those who can imagine that feeling or
perhaps
athletes that have experienced that disappointment and have come back
might
be able to provide words of inspiration. You are all part of an
incredibly
unique community and I would love for my brother to be a beneficiary of
your
support. (It selfishly helps me feel like I can do something for him.)
Please feel free to send anything to him at 15 Lawridge Drive, Rye
Brook, NY
10573 or I can easily pick up anything and take care of getting it to
him. I
will be traveling to NY once again August 12th.
Thank you.
Debbi
*******************************************************
Mike C
MJ