October 18, 2011Dear Sir,More than a year after he was taken by air ambulance to a hospital in Johannesburg, South Africa my husband Brian Rowlinson remains in hospital now in the US. He suffered a life-threatening aneurysm while on holiday but has cheated death more than once since then, to the amazement of his doctors.Our daughter, Francesca, and I could not have endured this rocky road without the extraordinary support of our friends, work colleagues, and even casual acquaintances. That Bermudian spirit has lifted our hearts and given us the strength to cope with the challenges of the past 16 months. We have been visited, e-mailed, phoned and loved.It would be unrealistic to say that it hasn’t been a nightmare journey for us but, even in the darkest days, our family of friends has kept us going with their constant encouragement. It has enabled us to continue to have hope.Thanks to each and every one of you from the bottom of our hearts.SYLVIE AND FRANCESCA ROWLINSONWarwick