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Businessman and Bahrain Rugby Club stalwart David Ryan celebrated his 69th birthday at his home in Janabiyah with family and friends on New Year’s Day thanking his lucky stars that he was still alive.
The popular entrepreneur at first thought he was suffering from the common but painful condition of tendonitis after being taken ill during a business trip to Brunei but tests later revealed he had been struck down by a virulent virus.
Mr Ryan, a father-of-two, was rushed to hospital and placed in intensive care for 10 days at Bahrain Specialist Hospital last March. He was fighting for his life with his kidneys on the edge of total failure.
His lungs had also been damaged and he was placed on a ventilator to assist his breathing. He was diagnosed as suffering from vasculitis, an inflammation of the blood vessels. It happens when the body’s immune system attacks the blood vessels by mistake.
“It was very much touch and go. I remember asking if I was going to die tonight and the doctor said; ‘not if I can help it!’,” he revealed.
Thanks to the skills of the medical team and his Irish fighting spirit, Mr Ryan pulled through, although he needed regular dialysis following his release from hospital, a strict diet and a cocktail of drugs.
Treatment for high blood pressure, diabetes and skin cancer have also become necessary and as a result the Ryan family will be returning to the seaside town of Skerries, north of Dublin, later this month after a 25-year stay in Bahrain.
“I’m sorry to be leaving,” said Mr Ryan. “I genuinely love this place.”
Mr Ryan first arrived in the kingdom on a two-week placement with Air Lingus to work on a cargo development project at Bahrain International Airport.
Senior ministers in Bahrain liked his style and convinced him to ‘stay for a time’ to help develop Bahrain as a regional cargo base and help fully utilise the recently-opened Saudi Causeway for truck deliveries.
For 19 years Mr Ryan held the position as the airport’s marketing director and during his time helped it attract new airlines as many thousands of new passengers flocked to the transportation hub from neighbouring Saudi Arabia on buses and in cars.
He then worked for Risk Management International before setting up Ryan Business Solutions three years ago helping businesses set up and develop in the kingdom and launching an Irish food importing business, Gulf Irish Food Traders, with businessman and chef, Dominic Miles.
On the home front, his wife Mary joined St Christopher’s School as a modern languages teacher, where their two children Miriam, 27, now a PR consultant, and university student Richard, 24, attended.
After a 22-year spell at St Christopher’s, Mary joined the British School of Bahrain as a part-time teacher for two years.
On the sporting front, Mr Ryan was chairman of Bahrain Rugby Club in 1996-97 and 1997-98.
He helped attract major business sponsorship to assist the club’s development and also helped instigate the visit of three Irish sides and one from the UK to play matches in the kingdom as well as the promotion of mini rugby.
Last week current chairman Mehdi Honar and the club’s executive committee hosted a farewell dinner for Mr Ryan at the club’s Mano’s Restaurant.
Mr Ryan has now set his sights on putting the finishing touches to a book he has written during his treatment featuring an intriguing tale about a sailing expedition and a female African grey parrot.
He hopes to return to Bahrain on holiday with Mary after making a full recovery and believes the island can become a peaceful and prosperous haven once more following recent unrest believing that ‘dialogue’ is the only way forward.
“I remember opening my eyes on that first morning in the hotel room and pulling back the curtains. There was a dhow sailing in the bay and I thought it looked magical,” he said.
“Bahrain is beautiful and so are its people. I’ve walked around and got to know the country intimately. The people are priceless and I’ve found the young and the old alike all so very kind and helpful.”
