How we helped Sydney Kings star and accident victim Jason Cadee find his guardian angel
SYDNEY Kings basketball star Jason Cadee’s has found the mysterious angel named Ida who comforted him during his near fatal accident on the M7 near Quakers Hill nearly seven years ago.
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SYDNEY Kings basketball star Jason Cadee’s search to find his mysterious angel named Ida who comforted him during his near fatal accident on the M7 near Quakers Hill nearly seven years ago is over, thanks to Rouse Hill Times.
Cadee told us that he only knew the first name of the lady who stayed and spoke to him for nearly an hour after his horrific July 12, 2010 accident and wanted to find her so he could finally thank her in person.
Rouse Hill Times then posted it on print, online and our Facebook page where the article reached more than 35,000 readers and was shared by more than 135 people, newspapers and organisations.
A few Idas were tagged by their friends but they all said they were not the one before the real heroine, Idamarie Wetere, admitted modestly it was her.
Mr Cadee will finally be reunited with Ms Wetere during this Sunday’s game between the Sydney Kings and New Zealand Breakers at the Qudos Bank Arena, Sydney Olympic Park.
“When I first heard Ida had been found, I had a weird feeling as I really didn’t expect to find her,” said an emotional Mr Cadee, whose parents Debbie (nee Lee) and dad Robbie both played basketball for Australia.
“I then slept and it was after I woke, that it hit me and I was really excited that I get to thank Ida at last.
“It shows the power of social media and the media.
“At this moment I really don’t know what to tell her.”
The Kings are planning a special welcome and tribute to the soft-spoken New Zealander who said her motherly instincts just kicked in when she saw Jason Cadee lying helpless in his wrecked car after the accident on the M7 nearly seven years ago.
“If my child was lying in that state, I would have wanted someone to be with him,” Ms Wetere said. “I was on the other side and I pulled up and I did not think of the dangers of crossing the highway.
“You could see him in the wreckage very clearly from the other side but none of the drivers on his side of the motorway stopped.”
Ms Wetere, a mother of two girls and a boy, said she was surprised to find out from the Rouse Hill Times article that Mr Cadee and the Sydney Kings were looking for her to thank her for her kindness.
She initially asked us: “Is he OK?” as she was worried that something was wrong with Mr Cadee, thinking that was the reason we were keen to get in touch with her.
She stayed with Mr Cadee — then contracted with Gold Coast Blaze — for nearly an hour while the paramedics came. But she played down her role, which has been described as angelic and being a good Samaritan.
“I was no angel but did what any mother would do,” the New Zealand-born woman said.
“However, I was not the only one who came to his rescue as there was an older blonde woman and an elderly man too.
“The other woman, who I think was Jackie, was the one who called triple-0 and waited till the ambulance came before leaving while I didn’t get the name of the man who helped direct traffic around the car.
“I tried singing to him and also hummed in-between talking to him.
“Jason did drift in and out of consciousness and I had to restart the conversation with him.
“He spoke about a game which I first thought meant a video game and also spoke about his mum who had played for Australia and his family.
“I am happy he is well because I used to wonder what happened to him ... the problem was that I thought he said his name was Jacy and didn’t know he was Jason Cadee the basketballer until I read your story.”
Ms Wetere, who has also been invited to attend a training session with the Kings on Thursday, February 2, said it will be exciting to meet Mr Cadee again.
“Yes I am excited to see him and watch a game though I have watched basketball before,” she said.
Since the Kings will be playing a New Zealand side, Ms Wetere said her loyalties could be divided but she will definitely enjoy her first National Basketball League game.
In a funny twist to the story, while listening to Mr Cadee talk, Ms Wetere thought he was a farmer as he said he was playing with the Australian Emus team, the junior national basketball side.
“Yes, she thought I meant that I played with emus in the field,” laughed Mr Cadee.
Ms Wetere said: “When he told me he was playing with the Emus, I thought he was a farmer and wondered how he became a basketballer until the man from Sydney Kings explained the Australian Emus part to me.”
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