(The Bulletin) – In terms of racing, Dr. Ray Tien and his team had the worst possible outcome in the 2017 Pole Pedal Paddle — they did not finish.
But from a human perspective, that day netted the best possible outcome for the Bend neurosurgeon — he helped to save the life of a cyclist who suffered a traumatic brain injury in a horrific bike crash during the race.
“Everybody had a feeling we were in the right place at the right time for a reason,” Tien said this week. “We had entered the race at the very last minute. It’s weird. We were driving within a minute of when the accident happened. How do you explain all these circumstances that all fell right? I have nothing but a feeling of being grateful.”
One year after Tien came to her aid on the road, accompanied her in an AirLink helicopter to St. Charles Bend and then performed surgery on her, Maggie Woodward is doing remarkably well. CONTINUE