Tom South and his wife, Betsy Lamberson, moved from Casper to Cairo two years ago to teach. Lamberson has a degree in Middle Eastern studies and speaks Arabic, and South figured the secular country would be a nice place “to introduce oneself to the Middle East.”
But their adventure of living abroad came to an abrupt and frightening end in April after they were injured in a terrorist attack.
Today, the two are living in Denver and being treated at Denver Health Medical Center.
The teachers enjoyed Cairo. South, 43, found a job teaching English literature, ancient modern history and sociology to students at the Egyptian American International School in Cairo.
Lamberson, 25, taught one year then took a job with a nonprofit family-planning and development agency.
They took a vacation in April with Lamberson’s father, Bruce Lamberson, and stepmother, Cindy Parrish, in Dahab, a village by the Red Sea.
The four strolled along a promenade about 6:30 p.m. on a Tuesday checking out restaurant menus. South heard a boom, then saw large, orange flames with orange sparks.
“What strange fireworks,” South said.
Then he heard someone scream, “Run!”
But instead of running, South unsuccessfully tried to jump over a wall.
“I should have just run,” he said.
The first bomb was followed by two more. The force sent South flying. He landed on his back, with the top of his right arm nearly blown off, left foot hanging by a thread of flesh.
South tried crawling toward his wife, who had shrapnel wounds down her back and legs. Her parents suffered minor to serious shrapnel wounds to their legs.
The terrorist attack left 24 dead and about 100 injured, including South.
“I just remember flying through the air and thinking this is just like a movie,” South recalled from his home in Denver.
After being hospitalized in Egypt and Landstuhl, Germany, they came to Denver because doctors recommended Denver Health.
The urban hospital is considered by many to be one of the premier trauma centers in the country, and treating bomb attack victims isn’t a problem.
“We see auto accident and other injuries that are very similar,” said Dr. Wade Smith, director of orthopedics at Denver Health and leader of the trauma center.
South is in a wheelchair until a compound fracture in his left leg heals. He’s facing more surgeries to his legs and hands, but his doctors are optimistic.
“He’s going to have big changes, but he’ll have a healthy and fruitful life,” Smith said.
Although the experience has left the couple shaken, they are considering a return to the Middle East because they say they’ve become enamored with Egyptian people and culture.
“There are 5,000 years of history outside your door,” South said.
But it’s the e-mails and handwritten get-well wishes from his students that bring tears.
“I miss my kids. I love my kids,” South said. “It makes me sick not to see them graduate.”
Staff writer Annette Espinoza can be reached at 303-820-1655 or aespinoza@denverpost.com.
