‘I can’t forgive the man who left my son with brain damage’
THE father of a young man who requires 24-hour care after he was hit over the head with a brick in Galway five years ago said he has ‘no forgiveness’ for his son’s attacker.
Shane Grogan, 27, from Tuam, Co. Galway, was a funloving, sports fanatic with a successful job before he suffered a brain injury that has left him in a wheelchair.
Following the attack on August 5, 2012, when Dubliner Shane Byrne struck as Shane Grogan was walking home with his girlfriend, the Galway man can no longer speak and has movement only in his right hand and arm.
His devoted family and friends have spent the past five years raising much-needed funds to get him the best professional help available.
Speaking to the Irish Daily Mail, his father Joe Grogan said that while he has managed to move on from the attack on Shane, he has no forgiveness for his son’s attacker. He said: ‘I was angry for a long time but I walked out of that court when his attacker pleaded guilty and said that was that, it’s over.
‘We can only look forward now for Shane’s sake and do all we can for him. The support we have received is unreal, we have had so much help. Anger will do nothing for you.
‘But I don’t forgive the person responsible for this, I call a spade a spade and that is it. For us as a family, we can only now think of Shane and what is best for him.’
Shane had a successful career working in the finance department of medical devices company Merit when he went on a night out on August 5, 2012.
He was making his way home with his girlfriend when he was attacked in Tuam.
The young man fell to the ground bleeding before he fell unconscious.
Former footballer Shane Byrne, 24, from Kilcarrig Avenue, Tallaght, Dublin 24, who was living in the town at the time, struck Shane on the back of his head. Byrne pleaded guilty to reckless assault causing serious harm and was given a five-year sentence, with two-and-a-half years suspended.
For the Grogan family, that night lives on in their minds.
‘I will never forget that night,’ Joe Grogan said. ‘His girlfriend rang us screaming and crying from Shane’s phone. We couldn’t take it all in.
‘Thankfully, he was only a few minutes away from us, and when we got to him it was shocking, no parent wants to see that.
‘The ambulance and gardaí came and he was rushed to Galway hospital, but then he had to go to Beaumont in Dublin.
‘We had to give consent over the phone to be operated on as we were driving over to him. We were told he will either have a very bad headache or it will be a lot worse.
‘Unfortunately, for us it was life changing.’
Since then, Shane has been receiving round-the-clock care from Joe and Shane’s mother Joan, as well as sister Sarah. A massive fundraising campaign got underway when Shane’s story became public, and his family has received support from all over the world to help with his treatment.
Having spent five years in hospitals and nursing homes, the Grogans recently received planning permission to build a new house to accommodate all of Shane’s needs. Plans were drawn up to make the home accessible for Shane to live in, with an overnight room for a nurse as well as an exercise room.
‘I can’t tell you how pleased we are with the support and the cards we get for Shane,’ said Joe. ‘My wife is the real hero in all of this. She is the carer for Shane, and she knows every move he makes and if he’s in pain and where. She is so tuned into him’.
Since 2012, Shane has spent periods in Galway hospital, Beaumont Hospital, the National Rehabilitation Centre, and has received treatment in the UK, while his parents have sought information and advice from experts in Germany.
Today Shane’s friends and family in Tuam will take part in a bynow annual tradition: holding a balloon race and family day out to show their support.
Meanwhile, Facebook page ‘Care For Shane’, which has more than 6,000 members, will report on his progress and detail his family’s fundraising efforts.
‘Shane has an occupational therapist who is doing remarkable work,’ Joe said. ‘We are lucky we have people giving us so much of their time to help.
‘We have to keep at it and see if we can find the key to unlock what is happening inside him.’
Further details of the Shane Grogan fundraiser can be found on: Idonate/careforshane
‘The support we’ve received is unreal’ ‘My wife is the real hero’