THE family of a young man left with devastating brain injuries after suffering three heart attacks while on holiday in Crete are asking Northsiders to support their efforts to improve his condition.
David Cahill from Ballymun was just 21 when he flew to the sun-drenched Greek island for a dream getaway in 2008 but just two days into the holiday he collapsed suddenly on the street.
His family were contacted by officials from the island who told them the shattering news that David was on a life support machine and had suffered three major cardiac arrests.
Doctors believed this may have been sparked by a panic attack or an undiagnosed heart condition. The family immediately organised flights and flew out to Crete to be by David’s bedside.
“It was so stressful,
? recalled David’s mum Kay.
“After finally getting to Crete, we were shocked and devastated to see David hooked up to so much wires and equipment to keep him alive.
?
The family’s shock was compounded when doctors told them to prepare for the worst as there was no hope for David, but they refused to accept the news.
“Myself and my two other sons Steven and Peter and my daughter Maeve stayed in Crete for two and a half weeks as we tried to organise a special air ambulance to fly David home,
? said Kay.
The family needed to raise
?¬37,000 to pay for the air ambulance. They borrowed from the bank and the local communities in Ballymun and Finglas came together to contribute to the fund to get David home.
On arrival back in Ireland he was transferred to Blanchardstown Hospital where he stayed for nine months, before being moved to the National Rehabilitation Hospital in Dun Laoghaire.
It was there that David was diagnosed as being in a minimally conscious state, with profound brain injury and blindness. He remained in Dun Laoghaire for three months where he received physiotherapy and occupational therapy.
He was then transferred back to Blanchardstown Hospital for another year and in December 2010 was moved to a nursing home in Balrothery, Balbriggan, where he gets the 24/7 nursing care he now needs.
His family are still very much involved in David’s care and are determined to make life as comfortable for him as possible.
“As his mother I am there every day to look after him and have been trained to do so also,
? said Kay.
“The last four years have been so hard, but we have watched David progress slowly in his own way. From someone who was told that he had only two days to live from the start, my son David is an amazing, inspirational person who to this day is proving everyone wrong.
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The Cahill family has spent
?¬18,000 adapting their house for David and every weekend Kay and husband Peter bring him back home to look after him.
This has improved his quality of life and last September the family was given a glimmer of hope when David was assessed by a neurological therapist from the AST Physiotherapy Rehabilitation Centre in Cork.
“He saw great potential in David and the centre is in a position to help,
? said Kay.
“To do the three months’ intense physiotherapy he needs will cost
?¬30,000. We really hope with all our hearts that David will benefit from this and go on to their next stage, as they have great success stories.
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David’s family and friends are backing the cause to raise the money needed for his therapy. Earlier this month pal Paul Davison, from Ballymun, ran a charity darts night in Doyle’s Pub in Phibsboro in aid of the David Cahill Rehabilitation Fund.
Paul managed to get top darts player Gary
‘The Flying Scotsman’ Anderson over for the night and raised an incredible e4,465. He had already raised
?¬2,600 from a previous event making it an astonishing
?¬7,065 in total for the fund.
“I just want to help David get the treatment he deserves to hopefully bring him on the right road to recovery,
? said Paul.
“I’d like to thank each and every person who made the night a success especially Graham McCormack, Podge Feeney and Joanne and Phil Quirke who travelled over from England to help out David’s cause.
“I’m already looking forward to my next event for David.
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David’s cousin, Gary Casey, is walking from Galway to Dublin over four days beginning September 10 to raise more money for the fund. He’s set himself an ambitious target of e10,000 and up to last weekend had raised just over
?¬4,000.
?¢ David’s family and friends would appreciate any donations, big or small, towards David’s continued rehabilitation. The account details are: AIB, Main Street, Finglas. Sort code 93 21 32, account number 22301027. To support Gary Casey’s walk from Galway visit idonate.ie and search for the David Cahill Rehabilitation Fund.