A Fermanagh man who nearly died after being hit by a car in Australia last year have appealed for help to continue his fight for recovery.
Beoan Jones (26) from Enniskillen had only been in Sydney for three months when he was hit by a car near Sydney Bridge on November 11.
Taken to hospital in a critical condition, he suffered spinal, pelvis and neck fractures which required major surgery.
Last year, nearly £50,000 was raised to help him through his recovery in Sydney before he was able to return home to Northern Ireland in February.
This Sunday, a sponsored bike run around Lough Erne will also take place to help raise funds for his continued recovery.
Posting an update from Musgrave Hospital in Belfast earlier this month, Beoan said he had completed 12 weeks of physiotherapy and occupational therapy and was hoping to return home as soon as possible.
“I’ve still a long way to go, unfortunately my programme has ended here so options are being considered,” he said.
“I’m hoping to get some more physiotherapy either in a private facility or if it is possible to get home and get this as an outpatient however, at present that is looking difficult.
“Progress has been slow but I am hoping it will continue and I am motivated and know I will work hard to get to where I want to be. It’s a long road, but a hopeful one. Thanks everyone for the donations and thoughts and prayers. I’m grateful for everything.”
Speaking to the Irish News, his mother Rose Jones praised his bravery and how the family had feared the worst after his accident.
“We had just been at a wake for my husband’s father when we got the call from Sydney. I’m a nurse myself and when I heard the injuries that he’d sustained, I thought ‘he’s never going to survive this,’” she said.
“He had two brain bleeds, multiple neck fractures, a collapsed lung. Literally every bone in the upper part of his body was broken and I really thought we were flying out to be told he hadn’t survived, it was a very hairy time.”
Boarding a plane the next day, she praised Beoan’s girlfriend Clodagh who had already rushed to the hospital and kept the family informed.
“She did everything she had to do which must have been very difficult, because she was very much going through that on her own until we arrived,” she said.
With her son on a ventilator for a week afterwards, Mrs Jones said that she and her husband initially considered selling their cars and house to meet the costs in Sydney.
“It was $2,500 a week for hotels alone, so we didn’t know how we would survive. My daughter started the fundraiser, and the amount of people that rallied round was really incredible, it got us through that really difficult time,” she said.
“It was great to get him home again. The healthcare in Sydney was excellent, but because he was on a travel visa he wasn’t able to complete his rehab there.”
Watching her son’s inspirational journey, the family are now focused on giving him every opportunity to rebuild his strength.
“We’re trying to get him home, but one issue is that our house is built on a hill and he’s still using a wheelchair. So we’re trying to raise funds to get things sorted around the house but also to get him a bit more rehab,” she said.
“He had a lot of injuries but can move his legs, so he just needs more help to get him stronger to take some steps and hopefully on his feet again.
“He’s been amazing to be honest. He continues to push himself and is very determined to get where he wants to be.”
