SE 242nd & Hoffmeister Rd Ave
All it took was one left turn and a distracted driver.
A photo of the site where Sukho was hit.
By now, many of you have heard about Sukho's tumultuous journey over the past year and a half, one filled with lots of emotions, highs, lows, and passing. I don't know what I will achieve by opening up about the situation. I feel an onus on me to share some thoughts about the whole situation and about Sukho's brotherly figure over the years.
One year ago today, Sukho's life changed for the second time.
Let's start with the first incident that got us to this point.
Friends closing the circle that was left open.
On May 27th, 2023, while riding around the Blue Mountains in Eastern Oregon (where I lived temporarily), I received an email from Ryan F. about Sukho's first and main accident, where a distracted driver hit Sukho at SE 242nd & Hoffmeister Rd Ave. The spotty internet didn't help… so for a bit, all that crossed my mind was that Sukho's summer was over because of it, like a minor fracture or broken leg, nothing that would dramatically change his life forever. Although I wasn't wrong, I didn't really grasp the extent of the damage until I actually saw him in the hospital the following weekend.
It still hadn't set in at that time.
Fading in and out on painkillers, he whispered, "Akhee (brother), good to see you." he faded out for a bit, then came back to say, "I'm sorry, I can't really talk much now." out again. It still hadn't hit me then, my PMA (positive mental attitude) sometimes overrides such situations and gives an oversaturated sense of hope. In hindsight, that was a good thing to look back at because it really rubs off well on people who need it, like Sukho. But for some reason, I felt a sense of guilt that I perhaps couldn't sympathize enough with the situation? I don't really know at this point.
The following months were filled with Sukho's community rallying and pitching in any way possible. It was wholesome to see and be part of that positive energy. It truly heals even physical pain, not just spiritual or mental.
Cycling meant a lot more to Sukho than the average cyclist. Over the course of his recovery journey, he kept talking about his north star, a sign of overcoming, a goal per se to prove to himself that he is back on track regardless of what happened in the past.
That goal was to ride the sunrise. A tradition that we bonded over the years, riding to catch the sunrise on the coldest days of winter, followed by a warm cup of coffee. During the early sunrise ride days, I struggled to get out of my warm bed to ride for a few hours before work in the dead of winter. And one morning, when I managed to get out on a ride, Sukho said:
"The hardest part about all of this are the 10 steps from your bed to the bathroom. The rest gets easier once you're through the door."
And that has stuck with me ever since.
A split second, changed many lives forever.
For months, Sukho has been working on his recovery and getting the green light to ride his stationary bike! The speed of recovery was nothing short of a Miracle! In 5 months, Sukho went from having many, many broken bones, nerve damage, and weight loss to walking on his own and even riding around town!!!
Amazing? That would be an understatement.
The following weeks felt like the good old days, my big brother is back! Albeit a completely different human with the same core, growth and recovery took shape in various stages for him physically, mentally, and spiritually.
Once he got the ok to ride his bike, the first thing on his mind was to ride the sunrise and check another coffee shop off his Tour De Expresso list.
I was looking forward to it, as those few hours would fill my cup beyond measure. His brotherly figure is something I can't convey in words, so to keep it short and direct, he was my big brother.
Sunday, October 15th.
I snoozed my alarm a few times and barely made it out of bed, but I'm glad I did.
I got out the door, slightly sleepy but excited to accompany Sukho on his goal to ride the sunrise as his official first ride back! I mean, how could I not?!
As I sprinted up 52nd Ave to the corner of SE Lincoln St and 52nd Ave, I saw him waiting on the sidewalk on his Desalvo that I heard so much about, the one he first told me about back in 2021 when he visited me in Spain. What a time warp.
The crisp air was real, and my buddy was riding again!
TDE: Puff Coffee
We made our way to Puff Coffee before they even opened. Shortly after, Pat Daly rolled over, and we were both stoked about accompanying Sukho on his goal! 3 cups of coffee (1 decaf) later, we hit the ground riding before our legs got too cold. By the time we made it to the river, the ultimate destination was in sight, Pittock Mansion.
Crossing the Steel Bridge over to NW, we began to climb up to Pittock Mansion. The development Sukho made in his recovery is beyond what I can convey in words. But let's just say I was trailing him on the hills. And I was riding my bike all year long…!
One turn after another, I trailed him on the climbs and watched him as the gap was widening, but I also didn't want to lose Pat behind us. We turned onto NW Alpine Terrace, and shortly from there, Sukho turned right on NW MacLeay Blvd, and that was the last time I saw him riding.
The last photo of Sukho riding his bike.
To spare you the details of what followed, Sukho suffered a heart attack that left him in a vegetative state for the next 11 months up until his passing last September.
Those 11 months were very challenging for him, his family, and his friends. The ambiguity of his recovery was the most difficult part. Does he see me? Does he know who I am? 8/10 times, I would say he wasn't, but the times he locked eyes with me and smiled made me believe he was there.
The times I visited him, played some of our favorite songs from the Fruit Bats and talked about our dreams of leaving the US and living abroad, his heart rate would go up. Was it excitement? Or was it just me reading into things? I wouldn't know for sure, but what I know is that our feelings were real.
I didn't realize how much of a gap he left in my life until this morning while writing these words. Since I first met him in 2017, till his first accident, we would talk at least once a week, even when I moved back home (Kuwait) for almost 2 years. The weekly rides, explorations, trips, and meals we shared together made up a lot of my time here in the PNW; no wonder I've felt a sense of imbalance over the last year; something was missing.
However, in the end, I am forever grateful that I was there for Sukho during the good, the bad, and ultimately his passing. From the first Tour De Espresso to the time we road around Spain together and getting food poisoning from eating too many tapas, to the time we rode an unplanned century finished with a couple of Popeyes chicken sandwiches and nuggets, to the time we rode around Portland in a Blizzard looking for an open coffee shop because not even the weather would stop him from following through on his TDE tradition.
What a journey! There's so much to say, show, and reminisce about. Life is too short to live it doing the things that don't add value to your day-to-day life. So I will keep my word to Sukho; I will make those dreams I told him about reality, and I will continue to spread joy on a bike, just as he did.
