New home for Andrew after HSE agrees deal
A man left paralyzed after breaking his neck in three places in a freak gym accident in Sligo 18 months ago has finally been granted a place to live by the HSE.
Quadriplegic Andrew O’Malley (32) will move out of the National Rehabilitation Hospital in Dun Laoghaire to Peamount Hospital in West Dublin within the next few weeks.
His sister Emma McCabe has spent since January campaigning to have her younger brother suitably accommodated after the HSE initially offered to move him back to ICU in Sligo University Hospital where he was first treated following his accident at a Sligo gym in December 2016.
“Andrew will live in an independent living facility with medical facilities and staff,” Emma told this newspaper.
He will have his own room and share a kitchen and living room with other young people. His family were against Andrew being sent either to ICU in Sligo or a nursing home which would not cater for his needs.
“The promise from the HSE is that this is only a stepping stone to even more independent living in a few years time. This seems ideal. Andrew is happy with the level of physio he’s being offered,” added Emma.
In an inspirational speech to staff at the NHR last week Andrew spoke of the moment doctors told him he would never be able to speak, move or eat anything ever again and would be on a ventilator for the rest of his life.
“When they told me that, it felt like somebody I loved had died,” he said in the video on his GoFundMe page.
His campaign has raised almost ¤50,000 of a goal of ¤1million for his ongoing care. The gym where Andrew had his accident has since closed and had no insurance.
Fundraising continues, with a Honda Bike run coming up in Roosky and two Saw Doctors band members are playing a gig on Clare Island in September with all proceeds going to Andrew.
“I’m going to get the best recovery I can,” Andrew says in his video. “Everybody has a mountain to climb. The higher the mountain, the better the view,” he said.
“At that point, it felt like everything I had in this world was ripped away from me. But then I told myself, if I was to have any chance of recovery, I had to stop feeling sorry for myself.
“Two weeks after my injury, the strangest thing ever happened to me. I was in the ward one night, on my own and I saw a light shining in through the window.
“I stood up and I heard somebody calling me over to the light. Now, I believe it was the Spirit calling me to the light. I said I was not ready.
The Mohill native says his family have given him reason to live.
“Three weeks later my sister had her second son and that gave me the motivation to keep fighting.
“Some people ask me how do I stay so positive and good looking?” he smiled.
“Well I know that things could be a lot worse. I still have bad days where I don’t feel like getting out of bed, or eating or watching TV or even talking to anybody.
“But then I think of my two nephews and that gives me the motivation to keep fighting. I know I still have a life ahead of me.
“To anybody that’s going through a really hard time in their life, my message is stay strong. The pain you feel today will go away.
“You’ ll be a stronger person afterwards. You have to get rid of that anger and focus that energy on getting better and getting on with your life,” he said.
“Nothing is going to change if you’re always miserable,” he said. gofundme.com/andrewomalley