As has been documented in the media, former EssenceMediaCom CEO Pat Crowley has had a spate of terrible luck. Crowely’s 17-year-old son Fletcher suffering a severe spinal cord injury from a mountain bike accident in September. Compounding things, younger son Levi had just been diagnosed with a rare form of cancer called VHL (Von Hippel-Lindau) that requires regular medical intervention and treatment. A GoFundMe page has been established to help pat and his wife Nicky. As an update, here B&T’s Greg ‘Sparrow’ Graham chats with Pat on how everyone is coping…
Before we start Pat with everything going on with your family, I really value you talking to me. Firstly, are you okay with sharing an update on how Fletcher is doing?
Fletch is an incredible kid. He is now in his motorised chair and this has given him some freedom. His upper body has movement. He is 17 years old. Which means this is a big, unexpected detour that his life has now taken. Fletch will be at the hospital for at least another month or two, followed by several months at the rehabilitation centre. Everything for us is new. Every routine we had as a family has now changed. School, work, weekends. The lot. It is all very confronting but very real. We need to adapt on every single level. As a family, we are taking it one day at a time. That can be hard because as a parent all you want to do is look ahead. My wife Nicky and I ask ourselves every question that every parent would ask themselves. There are no answers right now. This is one of the most difficult aspects of an injury as incredibly serious as this one. No one wants to say ‘paraplegic.’ But for us, that word is very real.
Your other son Levi is also undergoing medical treatment how is his condition at the moment?
Levi’s condition will need constant monitoring for the rest of his life. His cancer is one of the rarest in the world. If tumours are detected they need to be removed. A tumour does need to be removed right now so that is yet another operation for Levi. It is constant. Body scans. Results. Sometimes an operation. Levi is a teenager as well. It has been very hard.
Both Nicky and you are showing enormous strength and resilience however how are you really holding up?
Grief comes in waves. Some days we have a huge cry, others we feel stronger. We dream (well actually they are nightmares) and we worry about the future. All the time. We love each other. We have a strong marriage. We are seeing psychologists to deal with it all. Every day is different. Every day we are at the hospital. We will get through it – we know we will. Today is a good day but yesterday was a bad one. It is hard but every parent will understand when I say we will do everything we can to help our sons. We need to be strong and centred. That is easier said than done.
The industry has shown overwhelming support, what would you like to say to them?
I am profoundly grateful to all the media companies and individuals who have supported us. Both financially and morally. It has left Nicky and I speechless. It is difficult to articulate exactly how grateful we are. When we think about it, we cry. It’s also made me very proud to be a part of this industry. The way that everyone has come together, no matter which company. Everyone is working as one team to help us out. We have never seen anything like it. We can never thank the industry enough for what they have done. We need to change the house entirely. We need ramps, a new driveway, a new outdoor area, grab bars, and modified bathrooms. A new car, a wheelchair and the list will grow as we come to terms and understand better what we will need. Outside of the medical care that will be ongoing. This money will cover the immediate needs we have. We will put the remaining funds into a trust for the boys to cover what they will need in the future. Both are facing lifelong, life-changing realities.
We all want to help, what more can we do for you and your precious family?
I think simply recognising that this is only the beginning for us. Staying the course with us. I feel incredibly supported by the CommBank, my employer for sticking with me. My gratitude is beyond measure for Jo Boundy and Monique McLeod. They have been amazing. I worried about what every parent worries about. Supporting my family. Having a job. I have one and I am very grateful.
Is there anything else you would like to say?
If I could ring every person individually to thank them, I would. We have been overwhelmed by the love. By the understanding. Many of us are parents and I think all parents can easily imagine how we must feel. What I can say is that life can change in an instant. For us, it changed in the blink of an eye. I was doing grocery shopping when I got the call that Fletch had been seriously injured. At that moment, our lives were changed forever. When we got the news about Levi we cried for weeks. Then this happened. We say to everyone reading, life is fragile and it can change instantly. Never lose sight of that. Hug your kids. Live in the moment.
A heartfelt thanks to you again Pat, I know it sounds a bit corny however all your friends in the industry are here for you, Nicky, Levi and especially Fletch.
