The perils of Christmas cheer
Christmas decorations almost paralysed Dan Comeskey. Now they have him standing outside asking for money.
But he’s not complaining. All the money in those collection buckets goes to LifeFlight, the same organisation that was there three Christmases ago when he needed urgent help.
The real estate agent from the Porirua suburb of Whitby was stringing up the last row of lights from his roof when he had a ‘‘bit of a whoopsie’’.
That whoopsie left him on the ground with a broken shoulder blade and collar, concussion and a bruise across his spine that meant he could not move his legs.
That inability to move his legs meant LifeFlight’s Westpac rescue helicopter was brought in, ferrying him to Wellington Hospital in six minutes.
Comeskey could have easily ended up a paraplegic or tetraplegic. He remembered none of the fall or the flight to hospital, but was thankful for the air rescue organisation.
He was out of hospital a few days later and putting decorations up again the following year. Then each year afterwards – albeit with the help of a cherry picker – and simply lower on the house this year.
Comeskey stands outside his house with partner Zoe Buchanan and stepdaughter ‘‘elves’’ Haylee and Tamsin Miller collecting money for charity each year.
The past two years, just from his house, he earned $1500, then $2500 for Wellington Free Ambulance and LifeFlight.
This year, all the money will go to LifeFlight. He is shooting for $3000. ‘‘I stand out there every night with a bucket and meet and greet people. It’s a passion.’’
With his Harcourts agency, he had set up a ‘‘Trail of Lights’’ through Porirua, which people can follow to see 29 homes with notable Christmas decorations.
Comeskey’s house is at 41 Joseph Banks Drive in Whitby. He planned to keep the decorations up until Christmas, or perhaps later if there was demand. He had been doing his own house for about 15 years. The trail started seven or eight years back, before being used to raise money for charities.
He was also arranging businesses to sponsor Christmas trees at $150 a pop with that money also going to LifeFlight.