The Struggles of a Plane Crash Survivor: The Burden of Outliving 137 People
Richard Laver’s mother sat beside his hospital bed in the burn unit, her face etched with disbelief. Her son had survived a plane crash that claimed the lives of 137 people, including Richard’s father. At just 12 years old, Richard was the youngest survivor of this tragic incident.
One of the most haunting phrases Richard carried throughout his life was his mother’s words: “One day, we will know why this happened to you.” After 38 years, living in Santa Barbara, California, Richard believes he has finally found his answer.
He reflects on the incident, saying, “The horrific accident shaped the person I am today. If it hadn’t happened, I wouldn’t be who I am now.” The crash occurred on August 2, 1985, when Richard and his father boarded Delta Flight 191 from Florida to California. The plane crashed while attempting to land amid a severe thunderstorm. Of the 163 people on board, only 26 survived.
Richard recalls having eerie premonitions about the journey before they boarded the flight. “I had strange dreams about the trip and told my mother that my father and I might have an accident. But she told me not to worry, as it was an unlikely possibility,” he remembers.
Miraculously, Richard survived, but his father did not. The crash led to severe injuries for Richard: “Hailstones the size of golf balls pounded me. Debris from the plane ripped open my abdomen. I had third-degree burns, a broken neck, broken arm, and a collapsed lung,” he recounts.
Despite his survival, Richard faced severe psychological trauma, including post-traumatic stress disorder. His teenage years were marked by turmoil and difficulty. Whenever he stood under a shower, he would recall the hailstorm hitting his face. The constant struggle of questioning why he survived while others, including his father, did not, persisted well into his late twenties.
At around 27 years old, after being robbed of all his money, Richard wandered aimlessly, sometimes sleeping on the beach for a month. Every day, he swam a few hundred meters at sunset, occasionally wishing for a shark to take him away. However, after a month of this grim existence, he resolved to reclaim his life.
“I feared nothing anymore, except living without hope. I was ready to fight and make something of my life,” he says. Richard began to live every moment as if it could be his last. He took bold steps, seizing opportunities and making decisions without delay.
Eventually, he married and had five children. But tragedy struck again when his wife developed preeclampsia during her pregnancy with their youngest daughter. Their daughter, Katie, was born with cerebral palsy. The family sought treatments everywhere, leading Richard to delve into nutritional research for her condition. In 2012, he founded a plant-based formula company named Kate Farms, inspired by his daughter’s needs.
Despite the challenges, Richard believes that his life has been on the right path since Katie’s birth. Her presence ignited his entrepreneurial spirit. “I have overcome so much. I’m okay, I’m here, I have work to do, and people who need my help,” he shares.
Recently, Richard founded an energy drink company, inspired by a gift from his son—a bracelet engraved with the phrase “lucky bad.” “I used to think I was the unluckiest person in the world. That bracelet reflects my thoughts. I wear it every day. I chose that name because I want people to rise above difficulties and create their own luck,” he explains.
