Security guard Jaroslaw Pieczonka feared he would never walk again after he broke his neck when he slipped in the shower of a cruise ship in rough seas off the coast of Fujairah.
But after six months of intensive treatment and complex operations in Sharjah, he walked out of hospital to begin the next stage of his recovery at home.
Mr Pieczonka, 57 a former special operations soldier and policeman from Poland, was working on the Red Sea cruise liner as a maritime security officer when the vessel rolled and pitched in rough weather on August 17, 2021.
Jaroslaw’s optimism, grit and determination to make a complete recovery was remarkable. He serves as an inspiration to anyone suffering from spinal trauma
Michael Brenden Davis,
NMC Health
“As the vessel was drifting, I decided to take a shower before conducting my watch,” he said.
“I went into the shower enclosure, which — unfortunately — had no anti-skid rubber mat. When the ship moved with a massive roll and pitch owing to the rough seas, I slipped.
“I grabbed hold of the safety bar in the shower, but it came off the wall and I fell on the floor on my back. I was unconscious and after 15 to 20 minutes I managed to get myself on to my bed on the bunk.”
Despite a numbness in his leg, Mr Pieczonka decided to continue his duties as watch manager.
But as the evening progressed, his condition began to deteriorate rapidly.
“Small accidents happen all the time on the ship. We simply brush it off and move on. However, I felt different after the fall,” he said.
“I could not do my watch, so I was sent to my room. I fell asleep, exhausted and in pain. When I woke up, I could not feel anything from my neck down.
“I felt like my chest was pulled up with a tight belt. I could not even go to the washroom. My team members tried to help me as much as they could. But there was not much they could do onboard.”
The ship’s doctor examined Mr Pieczonka but could not diagnose any specific injury or fracture without an on-board X-ray machine.
He decided to arrange an online assessment by a specialist doctor in the US, who immediately recommended the ship return to the nearest port to allow Mr Pieczonka to receive specialist care.
That port was Fujairah, so the vessel docked and the Pole was transferred to NMC Hospital in Sharjah where a team of doctors was waiting.
An X-ray and MRI scan revealed three fractures in his neck, and several spinal compressions — worsened by the seven-day delay before he could receive hospital care.
Mr Pieczonka was paralysed from the neck down, unable to move his hands and feet.
“The fall left him with three fractures on his cervical spine,” said Dr Bobby Jose, a clinical administrator and neurosurgeon at the hospital.
“I was concerned about the path to a complete recovery. Jaroslaw refused to give up and asked for more each time he would hit a physiotherapy benchmark to recovery.”
The patient’s determination to recover was so strong that hospital staff nicknamed him the "Polish Fighter".
To give Mr Pieczonka the best chance of recovery, surgeons performed a complex discectomy procedure to remove damaged disc material that was putting pressure on his spinal cord.
A corpectomy procedure followed, and surgeons removed further damaged vertebrae and intervertebral discs put pressure on his spinal nerves.
Metallic screws were then used to fuse and fix the damaged vertebrae in his neck.
“Jaroslaw tolerated the complex surgery well,” said Dr Jose.
Paralysed for months
“With impressive willpower, coupled with the effort put in by the advanced physiotherapy team, he made a remarkable recovery.
“He was able to sit all by himself by the end of the third month and was walking with minimal support at the end of the fourth month of his arrival at this hospital.”
As soon as he was fit to travel, the hospital contacted the Polish Embassy in the UAE to plan his final trip home on February 17.
“When I lay in bed paralysed, I knew how difficult my path to recovery would be,” said Mr Pieczonka, who is not married and has no family.
“However, every person I encountered made it look like I will recover completely and their smiles gave me hope. They chatted, joked and made my days brighter.
“I'm a born and practising Catholic. I relied on my faith to get through this ordeal. But when I saw all these people from different parts of the world [and] of a different faith working together to help me heal, I realised God is one but with different names.”
Physiotherapists used extensive mobilisation programmes to aid his recovery, including a new virtual reality-based initiative.
It allowed him to regain strength in his limbs over the months of recovery spent in hospital.
Despite losing his job as a result of his injuries, and a shortfall in his health insurance to cover his care, NMC continued to treat him.
Mr Pieczonka remained under the care of NMC Health until he was well enough to travel safely.
“Jaroslaw’s optimism, grit and determination to make a complete recovery was remarkable,” said NMC Health chief executive Michael Brenden Davis.
“His case will be used as an example of hope for chronic care and long-term care patients and providers.
“Jaroslaw serves as an inspiration to anyone suffering from spinal trauma.”
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
The Matrix Resurrections
Director: Lana Wachowski
Stars: Keanu Reeves, Carrie-Anne Moss, Jessica Henwick
Rating:****
Company%20profile
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EName%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EMaly%20Tech%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%202023%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounder%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Mo%20Ibrahim%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Dubai%20International%20Financial%20Centre%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ESector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20FinTech%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFunds%20raised%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20%241.6%20million%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ECurrent%20number%20of%20staff%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%2015%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestment%20stage%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EPre-seed%2C%20planning%20first%20seed%20round%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20GCC-based%20angel%20investors%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
UAE SQUAD
Goalkeepers: Ali Khaseif, Fahad Al Dhanhani, Mohammed Al Shamsi, Adel Al Hosani
Defenders: Bandar Al Ahbabi, Shaheen Abdulrahman, Walid Abbas, Mahmoud Khamis, Mohammed Barghash, Khalifa Al Hammadi, Hassan Al Mahrami, Yousef Jaber, Salem Rashid, Mohammed Al Attas, Alhassan Saleh
Midfielders: Ali Salmeen, Abdullah Ramadan, Abdullah Al Naqbi, Majed Hassan, Yahya Nader, Ahmed Barman, Abdullah Hamad, Khalfan Mubarak, Khalil Al Hammadi, Tahnoun Al Zaabi, Harib Abdallah, Mohammed Jumah, Yahya Al Ghassani
Forwards: Fabio De Lima, Caio Canedo, Ali Saleh, Ali Mabkhout, Sebastian Tagliabue, Zayed Al Ameri
Ferrari 12Cilindri specs
Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12
Power: 819hp
Torque: 678Nm at 7,250rpm
Price: From Dh1,700,000
Available: Now
Play-off fixtures
Two-legged ties to be played November 9-11 and November 12-14
- Northern Ireland v Switzerland
- Croatia v Greece
- Denmark v Ireland
- Sweden v Italy
The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre 4-cyl turbo
Power: 194hp at 5,600rpm
Torque: 275Nm from 2,000-4,000rpm
Transmission: 6-speed auto
Price: from Dh155,000
On sale: now
Titan Sports Academy:
Programmes: Judo, wrestling, kick-boxing, muay thai, taekwondo and various summer camps
Location: Inside Abu Dhabi City Golf Club, Al Mushrif, Abu Dhabi, UAE
Telephone: 971 50 220 0326
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Company profile
Company name: Suraasa
Started: 2018
Founders: Rishabh Khanna, Ankit Khanna and Sahil Makker
Based: India, UAE and the UK
Industry: EdTech
Initial investment: More than $200,000 in seed funding
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
Other ways to buy used products in the UAE
UAE insurance firm Al Wathba National Insurance Company (AWNIC) last year launched an e-commerce website with a facility enabling users to buy car wrecks.
Bidders and potential buyers register on the online salvage car auction portal to view vehicles, review condition reports, or arrange physical surveys, and then start bidding for motors they plan to restore or harvest for parts.
Physical salvage car auctions are a common method for insurers around the world to move on heavily damaged vehicles, but AWNIC is one of the few UAE insurers to offer such services online.
For cars and less sizeable items such as bicycles and furniture, Dubizzle is arguably the best-known marketplace for pre-loved.
Founded in 2005, in recent years it has been joined by a plethora of Facebook community pages for shifting used goods, including Abu Dhabi Marketplace, Flea Market UAE and Arabian Ranches Souq Market while sites such as The Luxury Closet and Riot deal largely in second-hand fashion.
At the high-end of the pre-used spectrum, resellers such as Timepiece360.ae, WatchBox Middle East and Watches Market Dubai deal in authenticated second-hand luxury timepieces from brands such as Rolex, Hublot and Tag Heuer, with a warranty.
if you go
The flights
Emirates flies to Delhi with fares starting from around Dh760 return, while Etihad fares cost about Dh783 return. From Delhi, there are connecting flights to Lucknow.
Where to stay
It is advisable to stay in Lucknow and make a day trip to Kannauj. A stay at the Lebua Lucknow hotel, a traditional Lucknowi mansion, is recommended. Prices start from Dh300 per night (excluding taxes).
ESSENTIALS
The flights
Emirates flies from Dubai to Phnom Penh via Yangon from Dh2,700 return including taxes. Cambodia Bayon Airlines and Cambodia Angkor Air offer return flights from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap from Dh250 return including taxes. The flight takes about 45 minutes.
The hotels
Rooms at the Raffles Le Royal in Phnom Penh cost from $225 (Dh826) per night including taxes. Rooms at the Grand Hotel d'Angkor cost from $261 (Dh960) per night including taxes.
The tours
A cyclo architecture tour of Phnom Penh costs from $20 (Dh75) per person for about three hours, with Khmer Architecture Tours. Tailor-made tours of all of Cambodia, or sites like Angkor alone, can be arranged by About Asia Travel. Emirates Holidays also offers packages.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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Know before you go
- Jebel Akhdar is a two-hour drive from Muscat airport or a six-hour drive from Dubai. It’s impossible to visit by car unless you have a 4x4. Phone ahead to the hotel to arrange a transfer.
- If you’re driving, make sure your insurance covers Oman.
- By air: Budget airlines Air Arabia, Flydubai and SalamAir offer direct routes to Muscat from the UAE.
- Tourists from the Emirates (UAE nationals not included) must apply for an Omani visa online before arrival at evisa.rop.gov.om. The process typically takes several days.
- Flash floods are probable due to the terrain and a lack of drainage. Always check the weather before venturing into any canyons or other remote areas and identify a plan of escape that includes high ground, shelter and parking where your car won’t be overtaken by sudden downpours.
Dubai Rugby Sevens
November 30-December 2, at The Sevens, Dubai
Gulf Under 19
Pool A – Abu Dhabi Harlequins, Jumeirah College Tigers, Dubai English Speaking School 1, Gems World Academy
Pool B – British School Al Khubairat, Bahrain Colts, Jumeirah College Lions, Dubai English Speaking School 2
Pool C - Dubai College A, Dubai Sharks, Jumeirah English Speaking School, Al Yasmina
Pool D – Dubai Exiles, Dubai Hurricanes, Al Ain Amblers, Deira International School
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
OPENING FIXTURES
Saturday September 12
Crystal Palace v Southampton
Fulham v Arsenal
Liverpool v Leeds United
Tottenham v Everton
West Brom v Leicester
West Ham v Newcastle
Monday September 14
Brighton v Chelsea
Sheffield United v Wolves
To be rescheduled
Burnley v Manchester United
Manchester City v Aston Villa
Asia Cup 2018 final
Who: India v Bangladesh
When: Friday, 3.30pm, Dubai International Stadium
Watch: Live on OSN Cricket HD
Slow loris biog
From: Lonely Loris is a Sunda slow loris, one of nine species of the animal native to Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and Singapore
Status: Critically endangered, and listed as vulnerable on the International Union for Conservation of Nature red list due to growing demand in the global exotic pet trade. It is one of the most popular primate species found at Indonesian pet markets
Likes: Sleeping, which they do for up to 18 hours a day. When they are awake, they like to eat fruit, insects, small birds and reptiles and some types of vegetation
Dislikes: Sunlight. Being a nocturnal animal, the slow loris wakes around sunset and is active throughout the night
Superpowers: His dangerous elbows. The slow loris’s doe eyes may make it look cute, but it is also deadly. The only known venomous primate, it hisses and clasps its paws and can produce a venom from its elbow that can cause anaphylactic shock and even death in humans
Indoor cricket in a nutshell
Indoor cricket in a nutshell
Indoor Cricket World Cup - Sept 16-20, Insportz, Dubai
16 Indoor cricket matches are 16 overs per side
8 There are eight players per team
9 There have been nine Indoor Cricket World Cups for men. Australia have won every one.
5 Five runs are deducted from the score when a wickets falls
4 Batsmen bat in pairs, facing four overs per partnership
Scoring In indoor cricket, runs are scored by way of both physical and bonus runs. Physical runs are scored by both batsmen completing a run from one crease to the other. Bonus runs are scored when the ball hits a net in different zones, but only when at least one physical run is score.
Zones
A Front net, behind the striker and wicketkeeper: 0 runs
B Side nets, between the striker and halfway down the pitch: 1 run
C Side nets between halfway and the bowlers end: 2 runs
D Back net: 4 runs on the bounce, 6 runs on the full
