Surviving a deadly earthquake on a bucket-list vacation is nothing compared to fighting cancer.
A Maple Ridge family on a bucket-list trip escaped to Bali just days before a third major earthquake struck the Indonesian island of Lombok, raising the death toll to more than 300.
Logan Lay, 21, and her family were in Lombok for the final leg of their journey when a 6.9 earthquake hit Aug. 5, killing hundreds of people and flattening homes on the Indonesian island east of Bali.
Logan was diagnosed with brain cancer June 3, 2005, when she was eight years old. She went through seven years of solid treatment. She did three different cycles of chemotherapy and had brain and spine radiation, as well as multiple surgeries.
Logan started chemotherapy again for the fourth time and had been doing chemo since October of 2016. As of January 2018, she had finished eight cycles.
When Logan was first diagnosed, the family had decided to throw caution to the wind and started to live a bucket list.
Over 12 years, they traveled to 20 countries.
Logan, her younger brother Brody, father Jared and mother Jennifer Montgomery-Lay had been in Indonesia for a month and were in Bali on July 29 when the first earthquake hit the region.
That earthquake registered at 6.4.
害羞草研究所淲e woke up and Jared and I were like, 害羞草研究所�Woah, earthquake,害羞草研究所櫤π卟菅芯克鶟 said Jennifer.
害羞草研究所淏ut it was quick, it was only like 10 or 15 seconds. So we ran out to the balcony to like, 害羞草研究所榃hat are we feeling,害羞草研究所� and we saw a bunch of people run outside,害羞草研究所� she said.
害羞草研究所淏ut it wasn害羞草研究所檛 anything like what we experienced in Lombok,害羞草研究所� added Jennifer.
The family decided to continue on their journey after doing research and consulting with geologists and friends.
害羞草研究所淲e were like, 害羞草研究所榃hat are the chances of two big earthquakes hitting?害羞草研究所櫤π卟菅芯克鶟 said Jennifer, who remembered thinking that they were just being paranoid.
Plus, she said, if they cancelled the reservation, they would lose a lot of money, so they continued.
They arrived on the island of Lombok on Aug. 1 and on Aug. 5 they had just returned to their rooms at around 7 p.m. in the second floor of the three-storey villa they were staying at when an earthquake registering 6.9 on the Richter scale hit.
害羞草研究所淲e had only been in our room for probably less that 10 minutes and I had all of Logan害羞草研究所檚 medication trays out and was just reloading her medication for the tail end of the trip,害羞草研究所� explained Jennifer.
As she was opening pill bottles, it hit.
They heard cracking concrete and things smashing. Jennifer yelled earthquake. They ran to the adjoining room door where their children were.
害羞草研究所淲hen we ran to the door. Brody already had the door open and Jerod was just like,害羞草研究所橰un,害羞草研究所櫤π卟菅芯克鶟 said Jennifer.
The couple grabbed Logan, who was unable to run, and ran as fast as they could out of the villa and up a hill to a gathering station.
害羞草研究所淲e were worried because our villa was over this big ravine and it had a floating bridge stairwell that we had to get across that we were afraid was going to break,害羞草研究所� said Jennifer.
Jennifer estimates that first big earthquake went on for about 45 seconds to a minute.
As soon as the earth stopped shaking, Jared realized they had left all of Logan害羞草研究所檚 medication and their passports back in their room.
害羞草研究所淚 was crying because I was like, 害羞草研究所業 don害羞草研究所檛 want you to go back in there.害羞草研究所� But [Jared said], 害羞草研究所楯enni, she takes like 15 medications a day. If she doesn害羞草研究所檛 have her meds, we are so screwed. This is going to end in tragedy anyways.害羞草研究所�
Jared ran back into the building.
害羞草研究所淲e could see the building was cracking, but he had to go back in,害羞草研究所� said Jennifer.
Just as Jared ran back out again, everything in hand, the next tremor hit. Then another.
Then there was a tsunami warning. They ran as fast as they could up a hill to a highway, beyond which was jungle.
害羞草研究所淲e害羞草研究所檙e like there害羞草研究所檚 no friggin way Logan害羞草研究所檚 going to make it up this hill,害羞草研究所� said Jennifer, who still had her phone on her.
So they figured how high estimates were for the tsunami and decided they were high enough to avoid danger.
Once the tsunami warning was lifted, about two hours later, the Lay family made their way back where staff found them a room in a bungalow area of the unfinished hotel.
害羞草研究所淭here was no power, we were completely in the dark, we were having multiple aftershocks. I think in an hour we had about 20,害羞草研究所� said Jennifer, adding that they didn害羞草研究所檛 get into a room until about 3 a.m., but they stored their belongings there and sat outside because they were so scared.
The following day, Jennifer estimates there were more than 100 aftershocks and the family felt that they should stay put. There were no flights off the island and no boats. They were getting images of frantic people gathering at the port waiting to get out.
害羞草研究所淭here害羞草研究所檚 no way we can go there and have no food, no water, no shade, with Logan 害羞草研究所� 害羞草研究所� said Jennifer.
They called the Canadian embassy, where they were told there was nothing that could be done for them. The Lays spent another night on the island and were evacuated after two more earthquakes hit.
害羞草研究所淭he second night we were evacuated, we ended up sleeping outside in the open air palapa of their lobby. Just like laying on mats together because we害羞草研究所檙e like there害羞草研究所檚 no way we are going back to the room,害羞草研究所� explained Jennifer.
The next morning at around 5 a.m. they decided to make their way to the port.
害羞草研究所淲e missed the first boat. But they were gracious enough to get us on the next boat,害羞草研究所� Jennifer added.
The boat ride was about six hours and another two-hour car ride to a hotel in Bali, where they planned to stay for a couple days to stabilize Logan.
害羞草研究所淲ith her tumour, we are just trying to manage all of the symptoms with a lot of medication and a lot of fluids and such through her tube,害羞草研究所� Jennifer said, explaining that Logan害羞草研究所檚 tumor affects her ability to regulate her blood pressure and her heart rate.
When she gets tired, she can害羞草研究所檛 control her swallowing.
By the time they got to the hotel, Jennifer and Jared were pushing 60 hours with no sleep.
害羞草研究所淚 felt like I was drunk. I was shaking by that point and so delirious,害羞草研究所� said Jennifer.
After a couple of days in Bali, the family are planning to fly to Bangkok, Thailand害羞草研究所檚 capital, for another couple of days before flying to Taipei, Taiwan, and finally to Vancouver on Aug. 13.
A 6.9-magnitude tremor struck Lambok again Thursday, killing hundreds more.
害羞草研究所淥ne day we are going to go back and we are going to remember the beautiful things about the island and we are going to remember how all the people took care of us and how everybody helped us,害羞草研究所� said Jennifer.
害羞草研究所淲hat people don害羞草研究所檛 really realize is that experiencing something like this on your bucket-list dream trip is nothing in comparison to being so terrified that your child is going to die for 13 years in your own home.害羞草研究所�
