€50,000 fundraiser for Milena
BRAVE WOMAN SUFFERED CATASTROPHIC INJURIES IN ACCIDENT BUT IS DETERMINED TO RECOVER AND GRATEFUL FOR SUPPORT
A young New Ross mother who suffered catastrophic leg injuries in a fatal car accident in April is being supported as she begins the long road to recovery and hopefully being able to walk again.
Milena Nowak (22) sustained multiple injuries in an accident outside Ballinaboola in the early hours of April 20.
A €50,000 fundraising drive for her has been launched. Speaking from her hospital bed, Milena said she is determined to walk again and can’t wait to get back to her family. This Saturday nine DJs will broadcast live from 1 p.m. to 10 p.m. on ‘MilenaDay’ raising awareness for the GoFundMe campaign.
A young New Ross mother who suffered catastrophic leg injuries in a fatal car accident in April is being supported as she begins the long road to recovery and hopefully being able to walk again. A €50,000 fundraising drive that will lessen the financial pressure on her and her family has seen over €4,000 raised for Milena Nowak (22) who sustained multiple injuries in an accident outside Ballinaboola in the early hours of April 20.
Sadly her friend, Dean O’Neill who was driving the car, died as a result of the injuries he sustained in the crash.
Speaking from University Hospital Cork, Milena said she has a vivid recollection of the accident and much of its aftermath. She was rushed to University Hospital Waterford and from there to Cork University Hospital where she learned of the extent of her injuries and of the loss of her friend.
Milena said: ‘It’s seven weeks since everything happened. I am after coming on a lot from where I was.’
Milena’s left leg is in a fixator and will remain so for up to 18 months. Most of her leg was crushed in the accident in which she also sustained a cut to her head, broken ribs, a damaged lung and broken arms.
‘My airbag never went off. Prof Harty in Cork told me I may need to have my leg amputated. He said it was in the worst condition he had seen a leg in his 17 years.’
Relaying the extent of her injuries,
Milena said she had a metal rod holding her left leg together. ‘When they took off my dressings after three weeks I roared. I was told I have a very long road to recovery but Prof Harty said I’m young and fit so there is a chance, but it’s up to me how long I want to suffer’
Milena has just had her cast on her right arm taken off, so she is getting used to having some more mobility.
She will need years of physiothearpy on her leg once the fixator is removed, but will need the use of a wheelchair to get around when she returns to New Ross, which, she hopes, will happen in the coming weeks as she missed her son Tyler, mother Iwona, father Mariusz and family.
‘I’ve only seen my parents once. My Mammy brought me some fresh clothes after four weeks when she was finally allowed visit. She was wearing a mask and gloves and had to keep two metres away; it was heartbreaking. It was just so hurtful when I saw her walk out the door after the minutes.’
A visit from her son Tyler (5) was another special moment amid the gloom and pain to treasure for Melina over recent weeks.
‘I got to see him due to the circumstances of my physical injuries and mental suffering. I am away from my family. I couldn’t last any longer [without seeing Tyler]. He came in and he got a fright when he saw my leg.’
Milena said the time she has had on her own has been very important to her in her recovery.
‘No one could see me being emotional.
I cried as much as I could and when I was happy I was happy. My son didn’t have to see my pain and my family weren’t on top of me.’
Milena was due to return home to Belview estate in New Ross in late May but this has been delayed.
‘I’m ready to go back now,’ she said.
Milena has always worked ever since she was attending Our Lady of Lourdes school and is not planning to be idle for long.
Having started studying social care at WIT in September she is saddened that she can’t finish the course, but is determined to start an online course in September. ‘It’s amazing being in college and meeting new friends. It broke my heart that I couldn’t go back. No matter what happens I won’t let this hold me back. When I get back on my feet I just want to be able to carry on with my life. It’s a long road to recovery. I don’t know how long it will take me to get back on my feet.
‘I think I’ll be able to deal with it better when I’m home even though my family haven’t seen my properly on my bad and good days. The support and love I am after getting is overwhelming. It is after giving me so much strength and positivity and things will come back together in my life.’
She said the fact that nine DJs are performing live on New Ross quay front this Saturday to help raise money for her is amazing.
‘I am so grateful. I don’t know how I will ever thank all of the people for all of the support. The last thing I wanted to do was a fundraiser. I was planning on getting a loan to pay for a new wheelchair accessible vehicle and for all of the costs of travel to and from hospital but my friends said there are people there who want to help me not to get myself in debt.’
Her house at Belview also needs to be adapted for a wheelchair user.
Her friend Marta Swic set up a GoFundMe page, which has already raised around €4,000, with people from across Ireland and also Poland contributing.
This Saturday nine DJs will broadcast live from 1 p.m. to 10 p.m. on ‘MilenaDay’ and raise awareness for the GoFundMe campaign.