TOGETHER: George Langley Junior with his wife Clare and son Ashley. PICTURE: ADAM TRAFFORD.
IT WAS the birthday they thought would never happen.
When George Langley Junior was laying lifeless in his hospital bed in January this year, his family cried and comforted each other, praying that the man they loved would awaken.
He did, and on Saturday night he celebrated his 45th birthday.
About 100 people went to the Robin Hood Hotel to join in the festivities, grateful that such an event could even occur.
No one was more thankful than his daughter Stacey.
“I remember the day it all happened and we got the news, it was heart breaking to think we might not ever get the chance to speak to dad again,” she said.
“Now that he’s come out of it, just to be able to celebrate his birthday and know that he’s ok is the best feeling in the world.”
The father of four suffered a major electric shock when setting up speakers in Buninyong for the Cycling Australia Road National Championships.
The shock sent him into cardiac arrest and he spent four days in an induced coma in a Melbourne hospital.
But against the odds, he pulled through.
“There were hours on end when our eyes were full of tears and our emotions were everywhere, but we kept ourselves positive and kept thinking dad’s a strong person, he’s going to come out of this,” Stacey said.
“As a family we stuck together and kept positive and gave each other a lot of support. It was one of the hardest things I’ve ever had to go through.”
Today, Mr Langley still can’t go back to work and suffers a lot of pain in his joints as well as breathlessness. But, despite the challenges, he knows he’s lucky to be alive.
“I guess you don’t realise how good life is until things like this happen,” he said. “It feels like I’ve been given a second chance on life, not many people get that.”
evan.schuurman@thecourier.com.au