Up at 7; breakfast at the cabin. Listened
to the rain all night. Still raining this am. Deer on property eating
berries.
Ralf getting ready to start his final
trek to Tofino. I will leave in a few minutes and meet him after 20k.
Enjoyed my brother's company in the
support vehicle. Made the time pass quickly. Warren is very
entertaining. Every time we passed Ralf, Warren would put the window
down, stick his head out the window and yell obscenities (lovingly
from the heart ).
Had dinner at the Drinkwater last night
and watched the baseball game on Warren's neighbour's TV (in their
million dollar cottage).
FYI ...as the crow flies, the distance
from from Courtenay to Port Alberni is about 40-45k. But it is a
little over 100k going by highway. You have to travel south to drive
over the “hump” (aka Arrowsmith Mt.) which is another challenging
cycle.
Well time to say good bye to my brother
and get in the support vehicle.
Ttyl, xx
It is another miserable day. Grey
skies, torrential rain – you can see rivers forming on the highway;
meeting Ralf every 20k.
Due to the weather met Ralf only once
at 20k then changed frequency to every 10k. Ralf asked that I meet
him every 10k and keep a record of the time. Because there is no cell
reception in the heart of Vancouver Island he was concerned that if
he had a flat or bike issues I would not know he was in trouble. 50K
from Tofino was our last meeting place. Ralf pulled up to the window,
wet to the core. Gave him more coffee from my thermos. As he returned
the thermos he commented that it was almost empty. I said I wouldn't
know (as I was saving my coffee for him). I snapped a picture of
Ralf, trying to capture the water dripping off his face.He was
looking straight ahead and mumbled “I'll be glad to get this over”.
We're almost there Ralf. The last thing Ralf said to me was “see
you in 10”
Ralf cycled down the highway towards
the hill known as Hydro Hill. I wrote down on a piece of paper the
distance 10k from where we were and the time. Pulled out onto the
highway, snapped another pic of Ralf through the windshield
approaching Hydro Hill. It would drive Ralf crazy when I would drive
and take pics at the same time. He didn't appreciate how adept at
this I've become. When we had moments like this I thought to myself
it will be good Ralf when you are back cycling and out of my
(creative) space.
I trailed a minute behind Ralf. Went
down the hill, hairpin turn and then I saw a lifeless body lying on
the other side of the highway. There was a pickup truck there and
young woman standing over what started to look like Ralf. I left the
car running at the side of the highway and proceeded to run over to
them. As I came closer I noticed his Giant bike was scattered in
pieces near him. I dialed 911 on my cell phone hoping that there
would be reception but I was hoping for a miracle. As cars slowed
down I yelled for anyone to call for help. Returned to Ralf's side;
he was conscious. An off duty paramedic showed up to offer what help
he could; 2 retired physicians on vacation from Britain appeared. CPR
was started before the ambulance arrived on site. Strangers
surrounded Ralf and did what they could do before the ambulance
arrived 45 minutes later. EMS workers transferred him to the Port
Alberni hospital 100k away. A second EMS vehicle met us outside of
Port Alberni to relieve the paramedics performing CPR. Shortly after
arriving in emerge the attending physician came out to express his
deepest sympathies.
I laid by Ralf's side until 10:30 pm.
I wanted to lie with him forever. The nursing staff were so
compassionate. They had gone on line to know more about Ralf. They
were so moved. The attending police were visibly upset over this
tragic turn of events. The coroner returned after he had
reconstructed the accident scene. He said he knew exactly where the
accident occurred because he's called there a lot. No autopsy was
necessary as it was evident what happened. Because British Columbia
had a dry summer it caused the oil to build up on the roads. With
this recent downpour it made the roads slick. Ralf's front wheel slid
out from under him causing him to slide across the highway. He could
see where his pedal hit the concrete retaining wall as it had left a
mark on the concrete.
The nurse gently encouraged me to allow
them to move Ralf to the morgue to retain his dignity. With each
passing hour the body would be breaking down. The kids were coming
Friday and I wanted Ralf to look as good as was possible (they
wouldn't see him til the following Tuesday). I kissed him goodbye and
said "I'll see you in the morning”. Again I told him how much I
loved him. As they were wheeling him to the morgue I kissed him one last
time. The nurse (name escapes me) came into the waiting room and
commented how peaceful he looked despite being on the floor for so
long.
I camped overnite in the small waiting
room as I wanted to remain near to Ralf. Friday September 25th
at 0700 hrs I asked to go down to morgue. I sat with Ralf (and
attendant in corner) held his hand for an hour just embracing these
last few minutes. Left Ralf around 0830. Kissed him and thanked him
for the adventure we've had for 35 plus years. “See you in 10”
My brother was coming down to Port
Alberni and meeting his friend who was driving my car in from
Ucluelet. Drove to the Comox Airport to pick up Robyn, Megan and
Christian. Also present were Terry, Andrew and baby Lauryn. Appt at
funeral home to arrange details involved with flying Ralf home.
Unfortunately kids were not allowed to see Ralf in morgue. My son in
law has been phenomenal in every way. He flew everyone out (West Jet)
to Comox and flew us home Saturday. Arrived at 11:00 pm. One hour
layover in Calgary. We all worked on putting together the best send
off we could. Ralf would agree ... Go Big or Go Home. We are doing
both hon as difficult as this is.
Everyone has been so kind, loving and
supportive. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts.
Letter
to the editor of the Brampton Guardian
September
29, 2015
Dear
Editor:
Last
week, our community lost Ralf Jarchow, beloved husband, father, son,
friend, colleague and community champion, to a tragic cycling
accident. I extend my deepest condolences to his family, friends and
colleagues on behalf of William Osler Health System and William Osler
Health System Foundation. We are all in shock and saddened to have
lost such a great friend. Brampton is poorer for his passing.
Ralf’s
passing is made even more heart-breaking as he was on the last leg of
his second epic cycling quest to raise funds for the new Peel
Memorial Centre for Integrated Health and Wellness. Before setting
off on his journey, Ralf and his wife, Valerie, expressed their deep
appreciation for the strong support they felt as they began the
11-day bike odyssey from Calgary, Alberta to Tofino, B.C. Armed with
a desire to give back, Ralf undertook the ride to raise funds but
also to help build a strong community-driven campaign for health
care, a cause that was especially close to his heart.
Donations
to Ralf’s Ride have been overwhelming, along with expressions of
profound sadness in losing a wonderful person and a true champion for
Brampton. His passion inspired others to follow in his lead. We are
overcome by the outpouring of kindness and generosity, a testament to
how much Ralf touched the lives of so many.
When
Peel Memorial opens, we will be able to express our tremendous
gratitude by honouring Ralf in a lasting way. Today, we extend our
thoughts and prayers to those who knew and cared for him.
Ralf –
you are deeply missed. Thank you for showing us what a champion looks
like.
Ken
Mayhew, President and CEO, William Osler Health System Foundation,
Brampton, Ontario.
“So
do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your
God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my
righteous right hand.”
Isaiah
41:10
“Thanks
for the adventure Ralf. I love you now and forever. See you in 10”
love
Valerie xoxo
