“Unfortunately the laundry company was under-insured,” Bailey said. “We didn’t get very much money. I had a lot of medical bills.”
There seemed to be a sense of relief later. Some of the pain actually subsided when Bailey’s right leg was amputated below the knee in Feb. 2008.
After that he studied prosthetics and gained help from other amputees who continued to compete.
Bailey wanted to run again, too. He had been a runner since his days at Newport Harbor, and after he competed in triathlons and marathons. As a retired Orange County social worker, he wanted to keep on running. After the freak accident, he never lost that desire.
Huntington Beach’s Jami Goldman, a double amputee, also ran Sunday in the 5K and finished the race. Seeing that can provide motivation and hope for Bailey, even if he said his socket isn’t quite fitting that well yet.
“I had no idea what this thing would feel like,” Bailey said. “There’s no heel , strictly toes. I have one foot landing on the toe, and one foot landing on the heel. My brain is trying to figure out what’s going on with this thing.”
In October Bailey swam with his new prosthetic. Now he’s been training for the 5K with the OCTC and Coach Charlie Appell, who also leads the Estancia program.
Yes, Sunday was important for Bailey, who said he hasn’t decided when his next race might be.
But expect there to be another one, which still says a lot.
— Matt Szabo contributed to this story.
