I love teaching students to snowboard. It is my belief that I could teach anyone (except maybe my wife) how to glide with grace down a slope with the beautiful creation that is the snowboard strapped to their feet. Give me three days, and you will see what I mean.
Having said that, you can begin to imagine how much I was looking forward to being a part of this year’s ski trip. In fact, I had been looking forward to it since last year’s trip, little did I know that I’d be sitting this one out. Instead, I spent six days in a Slovak hospital, and got a few unexpected lessons in the importance of friends and small acts of love.
Migraine headaches affect approximately 10% of the world’s population. About a 3rd of those affected experience something called an “aura” before the migraine hits home. An aura can present itself in different ways depending on the person. Some people experience strange smells, blurred vision, or even nausea. Others see rainbows and can even become confused. I had never had a migraine before, let alone an aura, but that all changed for me this winter. On the 4th of February, after finishing my first lesson, things started to get funky. I was in the teachers’ room, and my vision started to blur. And I became confused.
This is when my colleagues and friends Miška Čankyová and Alenka Cilíková stepped up and showed some love. These fine ladies know me, and they realized that I wasn’t myself. Looking back, they probably thought I was finally losing my mind. Even so, they saw that I was in trouble and wouldn’t leave me alone until I left school and got help. I would challenge anyone to tell these two women “no” when they know that they are right.
To make a long story short, things got weirder, and I became more confused. I started to forget important things like my favorite color, and my wife’s name. I ended up taking a ride to Trenčín in the back of an ambulance, where I spent the next six days being tested and checked out like a lab rat. Radim Kovařík made my first night of imprisonment much easier. Radim offered to drive my very pregnant wife to Trenčín, before she could even ask for help. Radim and Marta brought me some important supplies, such as house slippers, my toothbrush, and toilet paper. I was shocked upon arriving to the hospital to find that soap and toilet paper wasn’t included. Kovařík later refused chocolate, let alone money for the fuel he used to ensure that I could use the toilet in peace.
Jaro Durec and others also showed they cared through phone calls and words of encouragement. You have no idea how much it means to have contact from the outside world when trapped in a hospital. My father-in-law was a real hero when he delivered pizza, and even Martin Krč broke down and called to make sure that I was alive.
Sometimes you don’t know who your real friends are or who you can count on until things go downhill. I am blessed to have the friends that I do, and it makes me proud to be a part of this school. Something that makes Gymy so special is that we are like a family. Thank you all for being there for me. I look forward to paying forward the love.
by Matt Haarman
Year1, Issue 2