It’s seven months now and he’s pretty much in same condition
Tom, 74, paralysed after ‘burglary attack’
THE cousin of Tom Niland said the pensioner faces spending the rest of his life in hospital paralysed from the neck down.
Tom, 74, has been on life support at Sligo University Hospital since he was attacked during a burglary at his home in the village of Skreen on January 18.
His cousin Michael Walsh said Tom is desperately trying to talk but has not made any progress.
He told the Irish Sunday Mirror: “It’s seven months now since it happened and he’s still in pretty much the same condition.
“You could say there has been no real progress. It’s not looking good in that respect. He has no feeling from the neck down.
“I was in there yesterday and his hand was dangling down at the side of the bed and he had no awareness of that.
”He knows I’m there, this is the thing. He does try to talk despite having this thing in his throat.
“We really don’t know how much he knows and I don’t bring up the past.
“I don’t bring up the incident or anything like that because it is traumatic for him.
“He does realise that he is lying there and can’t move and we are all moving around him. It’s very frustrating for him. They’ve told me that it is a concern, he is down a lot. You can see it in his face.”
Michael said Tom will only be moved from the hospital if he is able to breath without the ventilator.
He added: “There is no sign of him getting out... The doctor said he could be looking at long term care until the end.
“What they are trying to do in there is get him off the ventilator which means they reduce the oxygen but it’s not working. His pulse starts dropping and they have to restore it. They are trying to get his body to just kick in.
“If he was able to breathe on his own and didn’t need the tubes then he would be able to go to a home.
“Tom would not want this. He would not want to be the way he is at the moment.
“He was very active despite his age, he was physically strong. He’s 6ft and a very broad guy, he was a very happy go lucky guy.”
Three men have been charged with aggravated burglary and causing serious harm in connection with the incident.
Francis Harman, 54, of Nephin Court, Kilala Road, Ballina, John Irving, 28, of Shanwar, Foxford, and John Clarke, 32, of Carrowkelly, Ballina, Co Mayo, are also charged with false imprisonment.
There’s no progress.. he has no feeling from neck down MICHAEL WALSH COUSIN OF TOM NILAND