What a CRAZY ride it has been!!! Will we? Won't we? We really didn't think we'd be back in business at all! But here we are & it's ALL thanks to YOU!
If you don't know what I'm on about, here's a recap of the last (almost) 4 months...
On the evening of Wednesday, 15th of November, 2023, I'd returned from Feed2U deliveries with Wix & was down at the neighbours' property with my husband, checking horses. We had our usual 75 litres of water in 3 x 25Ltr containers, strapped on the front of the quad bike (as we'd done for 15 years when watering animals next-door) & my husband had just jumped on one side of the quad, behind me for the journey up the driveway.
I was accelerating uphill but was still only doing between 20 to 25kms/hr when suddenly, there was a bang & the quadbike flipped end over end! We now know that a belt broke in the front of the bike & got caught in another pully, causing the quad to feel like it had hit an invisible wall as it stopped dead in it's tracks & inertia carried the rear end, over the front end!
Bryce (my husband) was thrown clear of the bike, over my head but I was deposited on the gravel driveway, directly in front of the quad which then somersaulted on top of me end on, with it's additional 75kg's of water, right across my pelvis!
My pelvis was smashed into 8 x pieces (4 x large fractures) & I popped the AC joint in my left shoulder too. A couple of helicopter rides (SO MUCH THANKS to Northland Rescue Helicopters!) & 5 x days later, two surgeons carefully pieced the 8 x bits of my pelvis back together & secured them with plates & screws so healing could begin.
I then had a further 4 x weeks of bed rest (in nappies as a bed pan wasn't possible & I couldn't leave the bed), 4 x weeks in a wheelchair & a further 4 x weeks learning to walk again with a walking frame. That was followed by a couple of weeks of alternating between wheelchair, walking frame & crutches while I regained strength & movement.
Throughout this saga, I did my best to keep Feed2U going but the business had it's own challenges...
Shortly after my accident, our feed storage was hit with a grain mite infestation & $10k worth of feed had to be destroyed. THAT very nearly destroyed Feed2U!
As if my personal challenges of pain & lessons in humility through a fog of morphine & ketamine weren't enough, I was now facing the loss of my beloved business that I had poured my heart & soul into for the past 12 months while still holding down another full time job. All the pain from my injuries couldn't compare with the devastation I felt at the realization that Feed2U was no more. I was absolutely heartbroken!! I also carried a LOT of guilt for having left all of my wonderful customers in the lurch.
All of this had happened just a week or two before Feed2U's first birthday. I'd had SO MANY plans & they were all gone in an instant...
This is where YOU come in... my incredibly WONDERFUL customers! When I tell the next part of this story to others, they simply sit there shaking their heads in disbelief, just as I did. And when I ask them the inevitable question, "Seriously! Who has customers like these?!" just like me, they too are still lost for words.
HOW did we manage such a loyal following in less than 12 months?! This wasn't the first time in that 12 months, that I'd believed I'd lost my business forever! Just 3 x months in, my major supplier & the whole reason I'd started Feed2U in the first place, had suddenly decided they didn't want to supply me anymore. I was gutted! I'd built my entire business on getting this feed to every corner of the Northland region. But, what I thought was going to kill my business, just made it stronger, as YOU, my incredibly WONDERFUL customers simply changed to other brands & continued to support Feed2U. AMAZING!!!!
This time around, when I thought all was lost, you simply refused to believe it. When I posted, "This is our last post" you replied with, "You'll be back!" "We'll be waiting for you..." & the messages began flooding in. I had believed that 'I' was Feed2U's most staunch supporter & I had given up & accepted that my little feed delivery business was no more. YOU however, refused to accept that & set about suggesting ways to keep us going. The more I said "that's it, we're done", the more YOU said, "Like hell! We'll give you time to get better, then mount up & kick on!" Once again, who has customers like this?!
This brings us to now... according to the medical experts, I'm doing exceptionally well in my recovery. SO good in fact, a couple of the major players say they've never seen such a rapid comeback in the whole of their careers! Those who know me well, are convinced it's just my stubborn, belligerent nature that's got me through this so quickly; you can't kill a weed! I largely put it down to my fitness prior to the accident, throwing literal tonne loads of 20kg bags around daily, certainly does wonders! Even so... I know what REALLY motivated me & got me back in the game so quick & that was YOU!
YOU gave me goals & focus. When I was at my lowest points & darkest places, YOU would send a wee message, 'like' a post, ask how I was & let me know you were still there & still waiting patiently... Who has customers like this?!
YOU gave me the strength & motivation to keep doing the exercises even when they were painful or my body simply wouldn't respond, to get out of bed when I was finally able but didn't want to & YOU gave me the inspiration to find ways to make it all happen & get everything back on track again. THANK YOU!!
I've still got a way to go... there's still medical appointments & recovery goals to meet & (despite my best efforts) I still can't speed up time. It could be more than a year before I'm anywhere close to being back to where I was. I know I can drive, but I don't know when I'll be able to lift 20kg bags again or ride my horses. I've only been walking completely unaided for a couple of weeks & that's still a struggle some days. I still have lots of pain (mainly from one of the screws) & I have very little feeling in my left foot which has caused some significant weakness. My shoulder still needs repair (possible reconstruction) & I'm still tired a lot of the time. I have learned MANY things throughout this saga though... I truly have THE best, most dedicated husband in the world, I have THE most amazing neighbour who has stepped in to help everywhere he can, Nurses & Healthcare Assistants should all be given Sainthoods & be paid more than world leaders for what they do, never underestimate the power of Paracetamol & 'retail therapy' really IS great therapy!
YOU have taught me the biggest lesson though... who has customers like this?!
'I' do!!! Feed2U does!!!! YOU are incredibly special people who will never realise just how big a role YOU have played in all of this! I just can't THANK YOU enough!!
We still have a few tweaks & changes to make to ensure that Feed2U will still be around in another 12 months as a lot has changed in the last 4 months. You can be sure though, I am absolutely committed to bringing Feed2U!
Yours sincerely,
Simone xxx