In reference to the struggle his son Gerasimos is waging to stay alive, asking the question, “Why was that train running?” the father of the young man who survived the collision of the two trains made these remarks in his testimony at the Tempi trial.
As Dionysis Georgiadis said, “Gerasimos was thrown into the air. At the moment of the explosion, he was in midair. He was subjected to over 45G. Why was that train even running? Why was it there under those conditions? I feel something stronger than anger—bitterness. I expected that after what happened, public authorities would come to see how they could save the children.”
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“In this tragic accident, no link in the chain broke. Why was that train even running under those conditions? I can’t understand it. “I feel something stronger than anger—I feel bitterness. Fifteen days ago, the minister directly responsible, Kostas A. Karamanlis, assured us of the safety of the trains,” he added.
“A large part of the brain had been destroyed”
Starting with the hours leading up to the train’s fateful journey, Mr. Georgiadis said that “Three hours before the accident, Gerasimos told me, ‘Maybe I’ll leave tomorrow at noon,’ and I told him, ‘You’d better leave today.’ He was playing the piano 10 minutes before the train’s departure. I told him, ‘Come on, we won’t make it.’ I headed toward the bus station, and he told me, ‘No, I’m taking the train.’”
Continuing to describe what happened after the train collision, Gerasimos’s father said, “We started making phone calls; he wasn’t anywhere to be found, but the phone kept ringing. I called the Larissa Police Department. A police officer told me to look for him. He called me back a little while later and said, ‘Gerasimos is okay, but start heading to Larissa.’ We had to identify him at the Larissa General Hospital. My older son went. I was trying to figure out what he had seen. We’d taken six blood-pressure pills, and my blood pressure was 19.”
“The doctors called us in and told us that his condition was extremely critical and that we shouldn’t leave. A large part of his brain had been destroyed; it was one o’clock in the morning,” she continued.
As he described it, “At the moment of the explosion, Gerasimos was thrown high into the air. He landed farther from the train than anyone else had.”
Regarding what happened in the days following the train collision at Tempi, Gerasimos’s father said, “The doctors came out of the operating room and told us we’d done the best we could. The doctors used every resource at their disposal. For 15 days, it was the same thing over and over. They told us he had some of the most severe brain injuries. His right hemisphere was destroyed; they could see something in the left. But they couldn’t operate. They told me that once we were able to bring him out of the medically induced coma, they would tell us more. They did. The CT scans showed that his condition was very serious. The child began to open his eyes and started reacting to certain sounds, such as the voices of his mother or sister.”
“We had considered seeking treatment abroad. Despite our appeals, given the severity of the case, we received no response. Germany responded; they believed there might be some glimmers of consciousness, so they accepted him. And his airlift began.”
“Gerasimos really wants to live”
Mr. Georgiadis described the path his family took to save Gerasimos, reaching out to major medical centers in Europe and the United States. He also spoke about the trip to Boston, where, on November 18, 2023, doctors once again confirmed the critical nature of his condition and scheduled another surgery on his left hemisphere.
“The doctors in Boston told us that, despite the extensive damage, there may be traces of consciousness, based on tests they conducted in which he listened to and reacted to his brother’s voice. Gerasimos wants so badly to live. The doctors themselves say they’re amazed he’s made it this far. Throughout this entire ordeal, we slept for eight months or more in a chair. I was praying that the door wouldn’t open. They told me my son’s condition is irreversible. I’m sure Gerasimos understands.”
“The impact on the entire family was devastating. “If Gerasimos is so stubbornly refusing to give up, then as a father I am obligated to fight to ensure that those responsible are punished and that this never happens again,” said his father. Showing her his photo, he told the presiding judge, “Gerasimos is a very charismatic person. Words are not enough.”
Source: Proto Thema
