The Guild received a letter from the parents of Rowland Collins, Vaughan and Sue Collins after it helped them financially towards his care, and they recently wrote a letter, appealing for anyone that knew Rowland when he worked on the ships to write to him.
Rowland was involved in an unfortunate incident in August 2008, which has sadly left him severely brain damage and incapacitated and blind. At the time of the incident he was working for Stena Line out of Harwich, and the incident occurred in Holland, where he was rushed to hospital in Den Haag and spent some weeks there where he was not expected to survive.
We repatriated Rowland to the UK, he spent a short time in local hospitals, and then in the November a place became available at a private hospital in Surrey which specialises in severely brain damaged adults, and motor neurone disease. Although still in a coma and not expected to survive, the hospital staff had worked a miracle on Rowland, and we are naturally very pleased to have him out of his coma, although severely incapacitated, sadly he is blind.
He can now talk, but not like you or I and sometimes you have a job to understand what he is saying, however, his long term memory is excellent, and his short term memory is terrible! Because his long term memory is excellent, we are appealing to all those that knew him to write to us, so we may read out your letters to him, and if there is a possibility of a visit from his friends and colleagues, we would gladly arrange it.
Rowland started working on the Irish Ferries, and then joined P&O at Portsmouth sailing to Bilbao, as a motorman. He made many friends on those routes. He then took himself off to college where he struggled financially, so he could attain the certificates he needed to become an Engineering Officer, which he passed, enabling him to further his horizons, and his life turned around for the better.
It was only a short while after working as an Engineering Officer with Stena Line, namely The Transporter sailing from Harwich to Rotterdam, that he had this unfortunate incident, so sadly life has left us rather saddened for Rowland, as he really did turn his life around, by buying a car, a home and getting a job he loved and all this happened within months of him getting his certificates. Now, he has lost everything.
Rowland will always need long term hospital care, and there is nothing more we can do for him, except appeal to anyone that knew Rowland to keep in touch. We know he would be pleased to hear from anyone that knew him.
The only visitors Rowland has are us, his parents, and his 3 brothers and 1 sister. We all do try to visit as much as we can, but we are now in a position to appeal for extra visits, and as his long term memory is so good, we are convinced he will remember you.
If you would like to get in contact, either send correspondences through the Guild of Benevolence at HQ, c/o Rowland Collins, or contact Karen Starr at the Guild on 0207 3822644 and she will forward you his contact details. His nurse will read out letters. Visitations are also welcome by arrangement with the family.
The Guild assisted Rowland's dependant, his partner, Melissa and their son Connor, financially to enable them to visit Rowland in hospital and a one off payment was also made to Mr Collins senior to help with the costs he incurred caring for Rowland.