Rowan Gillam Wiki
Rowan Gillam Biography
Who is Rowan Gillam?
Jill and John Gillam outfitted their seven-year-old son Rowan in full safety gear for his first motocross race in Brisbane in 2020.
But tragedy struck when Rowan, the first of 20 riders to start, lost control in a curve at the Fort Lytton Motocross Club track and was found motionless in a dry creek bed.
The injuries were so severe that Rowan had to remove part of his skull to reduce pressure on his brain, and the seven-year-old spent nearly two weeks in a coma.
Rowan, now nine years old, also suffered a stroke and the injuries caused her to lose her sight.
Although Rowan’s life has changed forever, his parents have said that he has taken it all in stride, and even he has his sights set on the Paralympics.
Rowan had to remove part of his skull to reduce pressure on his brain, and the seven-year-old spent nearly two weeks in a coma.
Recalling the terrifying crash, Ms Gillam recalled seeing the crowd run towards a cyclist, not knowing it was Rowan.
“I ran when I saw other men running, I thought ‘that’s a bit weird, I can’t see Rowan, I can’t see him riding,'” Ms Gillam told Daily Mail Australia.
She was unconscious, unconscious.
Frantic onlookers called for an ambulance as his terrified parents watched in horror, and Rowan was rushed to Queensland Children’s Hospital.
Tragically, the swelling blocked the blood supply to the part of his brain that controls vision, the occipital lobes, and he became totally blind.
“Rowan had all the safety gear possible, we spent $500 on the best helmet, it was like a treat - he got everything new before the race, the helmet, the elbow pads, the knee pads, the neck protection,” said Ms. Gillam.
His motorcycle was checked and found to be faultless, and Rowan had ridden the track twice a week with his father since he was five years old.
Rowan slipped into a coma while still inside the ambulance after paramedics realized the boy had brain swelling.
