I’m celebrating being alive this Christmas.. Man loses feet in fall but counts festive blessings
DUBLIN YESTERDAY
Family and friends at Dave’s bedside AN Irishman who lost both feet in a fall from a seven-storey building is overjoyed to be spending Christmas with family.
Dave Conway, 37, originally from Rathcoole, Co Dublin, suffered the accident on his daughter’s seventh birthday on a building site near Brisbane, Australia, in July.
But he’ll celebrate being alive and spending the holidays with his partner Vivienne, daughter Keisha and parents Connie and Shay.
Two days after the fall, his parents and brothers Stephen, 40, and 35-year-old Richie flew out to be with him not knowing if he would be alive once they made it to Brisbane.
The dad of one was resuscitated by colleagues and has had 26 operations on his long road to recovery. Stephen, who has just returned from Australia, said: “He knows how blessed he is to be here.
“He is looking forward to the future and every day he is getting healthier, fitter and closer to getting out of hospital.
“Everyone is hopeful that Dave will be discharged around March time.
“While I was there I thought my brother would be down and depressed about what has and is happening to him but he has a goal and that is to get stronger and fitter to live a long life for his daughter, his partner, our parents, my brother Richie and myself.
“All of us just want the best for him because he is just such a good guy. Everyone just rallied round when he had his accident first and a large amount of money was raised to help with his medical costs.
“Everyone’s thoughts and offers of help and money here in Ireland, the US and worldwide has been absolutely amazing.
“In a few months time he will get his prosthetics so we will have to see how his body reacts and how he copes with them.
“We are all looking forward to the day that Dave is able to come home to Ireland for a visit but the whole family is realistic and that won’t be for a long time. We are just so thankful we have him here with us still.”
He’s looking to the future and every day he’s getting healthier STEPHEN CONWAY