WordsFinn Mullen, Timo Mullen, John Skye, John Carter, Peter Hart & Dave White//PhotosJohn Carter
If a cat has nine lives then Dave White surely has ten. Whitey has a unique world class talent for windsurfing …and survival. The warrior faced his toughest test last year suffering a stroke whilst windsurfing in Mauritius. Almost one year on, and with the help of his family, we interviewed Dave on his recovery with questions from John Skye, John Carter and Peter Hart and insight from Timo Mullen, John Skye and Dave’s wife, Sally White, on how events unfolded in Mauritius that fateful day. It’s tough reading, but not as tough as Whitey and his family! Read on for a moving story about one of our most famous windsurfers and the heroic actions of two kitesurfers and a local boatman who helped save his life.
TIMO MULLEN It really is scary to think this all happened a year ago now, and as I head back to Mauritius this year I know it will be difficult to not think all the time about what happened to Whitey.
It was pretty big that day, mast high plus, which makes all the breaks pretty scary and a lot of current running. As I came in from my session I saw Skyeboy sailing out and he asked me where was best to go and I told him Manawa, as One Eye was just a close out. I didn’t realise Whitey was also sailing out, which would have been worrying as the wind was very light! About an hour later I was sat on a sun lounger on the beach with my wife when she told me that a guy pulling up in a boat looked like Whitey. At first I thought it was just one of the RRD dealers who had broke a mast, but then sure enough I saw it was Whitey, and he didn’t look good! With Whitey you always expect some sort of disaster, so as I ran down to the boat I was expecting a broken leg, but the moment I saw him I knew it was really bad. I spotted he had a stroke straight away. The FAST acronym – Facial drooping, Arm weakness, Speech difficulties and Time to call emergency services, is drummed into me from any first aid courses I have been on. I know Whitey so well I could see that he was suffering from the 3 main symptoms. I knew time was very crucial but we had to move a 110kg dead weight out of a boat on the beach to a make shift stretcher (sun lounger) and carry him through the hotel to the medical facility on site. The Doctor confirmed that it was likely he had a stroke and was busy organising ambulances to take him to hospital, which unfortunately was 90 minutes away. To be honest I thought Whitey was going to die in front of me and all I could think to do was just hold him tight and give him a hug and tell him that I was there and would make sure I’d stay with him. I spoke on the phone with Sally, his wife, and remember telling her that this wasn’t the usual Whitey disaster and that she should get on the next immediate flight to Mauritius. The drive behind the ambulance to the hospital was pretty crazy as the ambulance was going flat out through every red light with me trying to stay on its tail whilst on the phone to his insurance company trying to get everything ready for his arrival at the hospital. I remember thinking how ironic this was as I drive like Miss Daisy and Whitey always rips it out of me for that. Yet here I was driving like a total maniac and Whitey didn’t even get to see it!! When we arrived at the hospital, I realised no one spoke English and it was a Sunday, so all the good doctors were not on duty. Luckily I had Pam Green, a stroke rehab specialist and friend of Dave’s, on the phone telling me what to tell the nurses on call at the hospital. I had to do this in French, so it was quite daunting. The good news was that Dave could sit up straight and could lift both his arms and give a firm handshake with both arms. His speech was slurred and his face had dropped, but physically he was looking better than an hour ago. I left him to the specialists and later that evening I was able to see him and again he seemed better but very tired. Both John and I felt confident that he would make a bit of a recovery, however unfortunately during the night it turned out that Dave had another stroke and this is what set him back. Dave stayed in hospital for a further 2 weeks in Mauritius, not the holiday extension he wanted, but now safely back in the UK I know Dave is in good hands and I am confident he will be back on the water sooner rather than later, plus he has managed to jinx the whole year for wind! I reckon he has only missed about 10 good sessions on the water!! Big thanks must go though to the two local pro kiters who saved Dave’s life, and I mean, save his life. 100% he would be dead if it was not for their selfless heroic actions. They literally held Dave in the water, keeping him from going under in mast high plus swell and bringing him to shore with the help of a local boatman, take a bow Willow River Tonkin and Taylor Holl.
JOHN SKYE We had lunch and went pretty much straight on the water. There were 2 Italian guys from RRD and myself and Whitey. I actually made the comment “keep an eye on each other”, but then did a pretty terrible job at it!! My last memory of Whitey windsurfing was when I hit the channel on my way out to sea. The wind dropped completely and I was sinking on my over volumed board. I looked back and saw Whitey just leaving the beach, stood up on his board. I then had to focus on making it out through the breaking waves in the channel, but when I looked back he was gone. I had just assumed he had gone back to the beach with such light winds and fully expected him to come flying out on a kite or large slalom gear. After about an hour sailing, someone came up to me on the water shouting that Whitey had had a heart attack. By the time I came in, he and Timo were on their way to the hospital. I quickly got changed and then grabbed some of Dave’s stuff that I thought he might need in the hospital and set off.
At first it didn’t seem too bad at all. He couldn’t talk much but seemed to have good movement and everything seemed pretty okay. Timo and I were taking advantage of Whitey’s inability to answer back by ripping into him in his hospital bed. Despite struggling to say yes or no, he did manage to say “shut up”, which was very encouraging. I then stayed overnight in a hotel nearby, but when I arrived in the morning he had deteriorated quite badly. There was definitely much less piss taking as he seemed to be fighting for his life at that point. I am massively thankful to Pam (his best friend’s wife and NHS stroke specialist) as I hit her with 1000’s of questions by WhatsApp, trying to work out what to do and getting reassurance that everything was as it should be. The doctors changed his medication and by lunchtime he was doing a bit better. Sally (his wife) and Reece (his son) arrived from the other side of the world within 24 hours, which is unbelievable really, and after that they took amazing care of him.
Since then I have been in contact quite a bit through Skype. He is doing amazing at talking now, although you can really hear when he is tired or not, as he tends to struggle more to find words. But to be honest, it’s almost a relief because he used to talk too much anyway! When it all happened I was googling ‘stroke recovery’ and the number one thing they all said, was it depends mostly on the effort and drive of the patient. At that moment I knew he would be back on the water at some point and I can’t wait to sail with him again. Hopefully he will be a bit slower now and won’t pass me quite so easily!
SALLY WHITE Well it started out a quiet Sunday morning, kids all out and David in Mauritius. Then about 12’ ish I had a phone call from Nik Baker to say he had received a phone call from Timo saying David had suffered a stroke. To say that was a shock was an understatement. If they had told me he had broken something windsurfing that would have been acceptable. Then I phoned Timo, he said he was with David and Skyeboy and that they were still at the hotel but were taking him to a hospital. Timo said we should fly out and gave us times of a flight. I said is it that bad? Then panic set in, what child should I phone first? I spoke to all of them and they all arrived home very quickly and all wanted to fly with me. Eventually we decided Reece should come with me and we had booked a flight within an hour. As you know we are a big family, so within minutes other family members arrived – mum, brothers, sisters, all in total shock. Reece took control and we left the house in total chaos with everyone crying. Thank goodness for good friends, as a quick call to Mark and Julia and a lift was ready to the airport. I left having a panic attack, not good.
After a 12 hour flight we arrived in Mauritius. Unbeknown to us, Timo and Skyeboy had set up a WhatsApp group with the kids and close friends Nik and Pam Green. Pam working in the NHS was a fantastic help keeping them informed as to what the doctors should be doing. We arrived at the hospital with David having an MRI scan and Skyeboy still there. The doctors confirmed David had suffered a stroke. They said it was a waiting game to see what happened next and they were going to keep his blood pressure lowered. It was a shock when we first got to see him, he couldn’t speak and his right hand side couldn’t move. I could just see the worry and hurt in his eyes that he might stay like that for ever. He was in his worst nightmare. They kept him in intensive care for 6 days, then moved him to a nice room with a sea view and fabulous sunsets. That was our home for the next 3 weeks and I only took enough clothes for 4 days. Our days were spent at the hospital from 10 in the morning until 8 or 9 at night. Reece even had a sleepover with his dad one night. As days went on we got into a routine. Pam sent some exercises out for his face and mouth, which we did 3 times a day. We went for walks round the hospital and David slept a lot for the first week or so. Next thing was to get him home, which he was desperate for. We FaceTime’d our other children daily – Aaron, Samantha and granddaughter Florence. David loved that, but hated the thought that he couldn’t speak. At last we had a date to go home and after a lot of phone calls with the insurance company, which were amazing, a flight was booked with a nurse so we all flew home together. The only thing David didn’t like was he had to go to hospital to be checked over. In the end he was there for 10 days. After a struggle we managed to get the house sorted for his return, the bed was brought downstairs and everything was in place. He was so happy when he was eventually home, then started the long haul of physio.
The physios were amazing, coming in everyday for months. They still come in now twice a week for physio and speech therapy, and we also have help from Pam doing physio and friends Julia and Mel doing reiki. David amazes us all each day with his determination and still has his lust for life. I think there has only been a couple of times when he was very down then he soon snaps out of it. He has even put himself forward to go to the hospital and speak to stroke patients who are struggling. He also goes to three different groups a week.
I would like to thank our three children and their partners who have also been amazing through all this and have never moaned, they are just always there for their dad. Also all our family and friends and my girlfriends who have kept me sane through this whole experience and most of all our little granddaughter Florence for making us laugh every day. Also a big thank you to everyone who donated to the JustGiving page that Skyeboy set up, which has helped us to buy things for David to enable his recovery.
JOHN CARTER QUESTIONS
JC – Can you remember what happened the day you had the stroke in Mauritius?
DW – I couldn’t remember the second it happened, but a few minutes later I was hanging onto my board with my head bobbing up and down and I had no feeling in my right arm and leg, but had no idea what was going on. About 40 minutes passed when a kitesurfer found me and pulled me up to his kite, then it was 20 minutes before a boat came, they didn’t want to take me initially as they thought I was dead, so I had to try and wave my arms so they knew I was alive.
JC – Do you feel lucky to be alive…anything could have happened when you blacked out on the water?
DW – Yes I am lucky to be alive, but also if I had gone I wouldn’t have known. All I have to say about that is I have gone over my nine lives.
JC – Do you remember hanging onto your board out in the channel while waiting to be rescued? What were you thinking, or was everything a blank?
DW – Yes I remember it. It wasn’t blank, but I was thinking why is my arm not working. My head was facing my left hand and my right hand was under the water.
JC – How tough was it being stuck in the hospital in Mauritius for two weeks?
DW – Tough in one way and easy in another. Tough thing was I couldn’t speak to anybody and tell them what I wanted, but in my head I knew everything. It was hard, as the doctors didn’t realize I was fine in my head. The easy bit was that I had a beautiful view of the ocean from my bed.
JC – How did it feel when you finally made it home to the UK?
DW – Very excited, I wanted to go straight home but had to spend 10 days in hospital to get checked over. They wanted me to go to a London hospital because they didn’t think I understood anything, but we managed to persuade them I was ok, as Sally and the kids knew I understood everything.
JC – How determined have you been in the recovery process?
DW – Anyone who knows me will know I am a very determined person, but it will be a long time to recover and not happen overnight. There have been a few times when I thought I might not recover, but they were short lived.
JC – Do you know if you will make a full recovery and be able to windsurf or are you taking matters step by step
DW – I don’t know the answer to that, but what I have is determination and support that will help me recover. I have held a kite with one hand on the land and it feels good, the next thing is to go on the water. Once I have more movement in my right hand I will start to hold a windsurf sail, but that will still be a short time from now. Taking each day as it comes.
JC – We heard you are back behind the camera now, how does that feel to be doing one of your passions again?
DW – That was because of my occupational therapist and her determination. We had the camera altered, but I still wasn’t sure I had it until I got behind the camera. Fortunately I had two good friends, Jonathan Bradford and Sara from Result Clothing, who encouraged me to start taking pictures. They didn’t want a lot of pictures to start with, but I hope they will be there in the future.
JC – Has surviving this ordeal brought you closer to your family and friends?
DW – Not really, as we are a close family anyway and I can get the children to do extra things for me, and as for friends we are very lucky we have some close ones who have been amazing, that said friends I have all over the world have been fantastic and they keep in touch.
JC – What has been the toughest mental and physical challenge over the last year?
DW – The toughest mental challenge is my speech. As you know I like to talk a lot, but actually the toughest thing is not being able to write it down. The toughest physical challenge is the movement in my hand, but it’s getting there.
JC – You always were a guy that went at every challenge 100 % full power. After the stroke are you taking it slightly easier now?
DW – No, but the tiredness gets the better of me. However in my head I can go 100% full power. The rest periods are getting shorter day by day.
JC – How has surviving these major illnesses changed your outlook on life?
DW – It hasn’t really. I don’t see them as major incidents. Unless I die, I just see it as another challenge. I have always lived each day making sure I have no regrets.
JC – How much support have you had from the windsurfing industry and people you know in the business?
DW – I have had lots of support. But everyone has their different ways of approaching it. Some people keep away because they feel they don’t want to intrude on my recovery, but I have also had lots of visits and phone calls. Also everybody reacts differently to it. John Skye is someone who I talk to weekly and has been a big part of my recovery.
JC – How have you managed to stay so positive during the last year?
DW – I don’t even know, but I have. Only twice have I ever been depressed about it, but even that only lasted half an hour.
JC – Have you been keeping an eye on the windsurfing scene while being off the water?
DW – Yes, all the time. I stream every PWA event and always check the results of the British series. This year I want to personally get to the beach and watch the action. I managed to get to the slalom in Hayling Island.
JC – We heard you are able to drive again now. How does that feel to have your independence back?
DW – When I wasn’t able to drive, I had a mobility scooter, which I got from Greeny (Nik Green), so I could be independent. I remember when I first got in the scooter I could hardy walk, I just sat there. My car just means I can go out even further.
JOHN SKYE QUESTIONS
JS – What was the best single moment since the accident and why?
DW – When I first got out of bed in Mauritius and got on my feet, that was when I knew I would be able to start the road to recovery. Plus the first time I saw John, I knew I had to get better so I could beat him.
JS – What was the worst single moment since the accident and why?
DW – Wetting myself, because no one wants to piss their pants. I went out on my scooter, came back to the house, but as I could barely move, I couldn’t get in the door quick enough.
JS – Being honest, did the thought of giving up ever cross your mind?
DW – No, it didn’t when I was in the water. But when everyone went home on the first night in hospital and I was on my own, I thought about how I could end it, as I didn’t want to be like this forever. That lasted for about half an hour.
JS – You have now experienced 3 ‘near-death’ moments in completely different circumstances. Short-term ‘near-death’ in a 150 mph car crash, long-term ‘near-death’ with a battle against cancer and finally a medium-term ‘near-death’ being dragged out to sea whilst semi-paralysed in offshore winds. How do the 3 compare and which was your favourite?
DW – I think the car crash is my favourite, not the one you’re talking about, but another one which nobody knew about where I hit a tree, took off, went down the bank and flipped the car several times. I think that was the best experience. The car crash took up less of my time. The cancer was very time consuming but didn’t really affect me too much to start with. This one (the stroke) can go on to never-never land, but may take a while to kick your ass again.
JS – Have you crashed your car yet?
DW – No! I bought one that was automatic and avoids all crashes.
JS – When you finally get back windsurfing, what is the thing you will want to do the most? Ride a perfect wave, fly down a speed course at 40+ knots, go bump and jump at Clacton on Sea or something different?
DW – Go bump and jump at Clacton on Sea, but don’t write me off all the other stuff.
JS – Your family has always been amazing, but it seems like they all stepped up to another level since the accident. Obviously you are proud of them all, but is there anything that really surprised you on how they behaved over the last year.
DW – To start with, Reece was always extra cautious about me – it took quite a few months to pass before he actually started to take the piss. Then Aaron was young at heart, he didn’t know how to react, once I was back a few months he started to show his worth. As you would expect with Samantha being the oldest, she really held the fort back at home, and when I got home she was always extra caring – she created a journal for me so I could track my recovery. Sally was a legend, like she always is. The 3 weeks in Mauritius she never said a bad word to me, only after a few months did I get the truth from Reece where I found out she didn’t want to be left alone with me in the hospital room because she didn’t understand the actions I made out of frustration. As Reece told me, I always used to clench my fist and hit the bed in frustration to express the words I couldn’t say. It was nice because Florence (my granddaughter) was the only one that didn’t change how she would act with me. In the hospital she always sat on my lap in bed, and now wherever we go she will always walk holding my hand. Dan, Aimee and Milly (the kids partners) have been perfect, every time they see me, the first thing they do is see how I am.
JS – Were you surprised by the response to your just-giving fund raising?
DW – Amazing, amazing, amazing. I will go on about it for the rest of my life. This contributed to so many different aspects of my recovery, from the physical side– the physio and equipment, to even getting my car adapted to enable me to drive and getting my camera altered to allow me to continue my passion of photography. When I can write myself, I will write personal thank you’s to every single person that donated.
JS – You are improving everything rapidly, but after the stroke you basically lost both mobility and speech. Which did you actually miss the most? The ability to run around and go sailing, or the ability to repeat your stories over and over again!
DW – That’s pretty 50/50. When I’m at home and everything’s going on in a conversation, it can be frustrating that I can’t fully talk. But on the other hand, there’s nothing better than windsurfing when you can’t windsurf anymore.
JS – Finally what was worse: 1- the moment you realised you might not be sailing for a couple of years or 2 – the moment you realised I had beaten you in a speed-sailing contest?
DW – You beating me in a speed contest? Well there is always a first for everything. Anyway, I only compete in 35 knots and above.
PETER HART QUESTIONS
PH – Your whole life pre-stroke was about showing off on the water and jabbering incessantly. Your speech is getting so much better (and let’s face it, it was never that great in the first place) but what has been the most frustrating aspect of all this?
DW – When I see you, my speech is really frustrating. I hate to talk slowly with all of my friends. The Essex part of me comes on in my head clear as day but doesn’t come out of my mouth.
PH – Having spent a little time with you recently, you seem amazingly calm and philosophical. Has the stroke made you evaluate life, your outlook and … everything?
DW – No, because my life is what it is, but it has made me want to help others in my situation. I always go out of my way to show others in my position what can be done – at one of my groups I attend, I helped a man say three words which was a massive achievement for him, I am also going to help another lady who wants to try and get out of her house a bit more, but doesn’t have the support to do so. I have applied for a licence to be able to go onto a stroke ward and give support and motivation to others.
PH – Is there going to be a book: “My life in A&E” by Dave White?
DW – I don’t know, because one – I have to write it, and two – I don’t know where it would start. In 1978 I broke my arm and my pelvis, and now 22 accidents later I had a stroke. Three – I probably will have more accidents in the future.
PH – Sally (Dave’s wife), I can see, has been amazing, (as has your whole family) but when we’re chatting and you get stuck, she seems to know EXACTLY what you’re trying to say. Does it worry you that she’s obviously always been able to see through you?
DW – Good question! I hope not. But she always seems to know when I’ve done something bad. She has known me for most of my life, and has been by my side through every single accident I have had– the more I’ve had the easier it gets. I don’t know weather that’s a good thing or a bad thing.
PH – I think you can see how much love, support and positivity there is for you out there on social media – but we all know how good Facebook et al are at papering over the cracks and revealing only the bright side of life. Rehab is rarely a steady upward curve, have there been setbacks along the way when suddenly things have got worse?
DW – Partly. At the start, the bad days and the good days were virtually on par, but as my recovery progresses, the good days seem to become more frequent than the bad. Of course there have been hiccups, but these only encourage me to bounce back.
