Dáithí’s ‘sheer drive’ aids his recovery
The mother of Dáithí Lawless has spoken to The Avondhu about her son's recovery, and her joy at having him home and reunited with his family permanently.
It is 14 months since a road traffic accident left Dáithí with serious injuries, and his return to Limerick is a cause for celebration for his parents Antoinette and Liam, and his brothers Anthony and Liam.
In April 2020 Dáithí, now 11 years old, was the victim of a serious road accident near his home at Cush, Martinstown in Limerick.
He was cycling with his brothers when the accident occurred, and has been undergoing intensive treatment up until recently in Temple Street Hospital and the National Rehabilitation Unit.
Thankfully Dáithí has now returned home to Martinstown and has attended school for the first time since the road accident happened. His mother Antoinette spoke to The Avondhu about how it has felt to have her son home and the family reunited.
“We’ve our first week down! While he’s been out for the odd weekend, now he’s home, properly home. The team from Dublin came down to see where he lives, they had meetings with Majella the school principal and his SNA over Zoom to get ready for this return to school, the school got special equipment in place - it doesn’t happen overnight”.
CPR INTERVENTION
Dáithí’s brothers, Liam and Anthony, were with him when the accident occurred. Liam, the eldest, was 12 at the time and jumped into action when the incident happened, performing CPR on his younger brother, a skill he had learned in school shortly beforehand. Money leftover from fundraising for a defibrillator had been put towards teaching pupils CPR and resuscitation training in the two local primary schools. Liam and his brother, Anthony, had been taught the methods in these classes not long beforehand.
The doctors told Antoinette what Liam’s actions meant, “He was fantastic - it could have saved his life. He pushed on his chest, he knew exactly what to do”.
For any parent, watching their sick child is an ordeal, but Antoinette is stoic and pragmatic in her outlook.
“That’s it, it is what it is. When he was in the hospital, he slept for three months. Then he started to wake up a bit - but it was slow, it was very slow. He was sick every hour of every day and every night. But the sheer drive that’s in him - that’s what’s stood to him. He went in a little boy, and now he’s a teenager. He needs bigger clothes, he’s gone up a shoe size - he’s after growing so much, his brothers too”.
Dáithí’s has had seven operations since the accident, and his head injuries have meant that he has, essentially, had to relearn many of the body’s processes like speech and drinking, but he is learning quickly, and even back training with his local GAA club, Castle United.
“He’s had no memory loss, and the doctors have confirmed he’s intellectually intact. He’s an incredibly bright boy, and they say that stands to him. If it was on he was stuck in it - GAA, drama, Dáithí’s involved with everything. He has great motivation to get going. I make sure he’s involved in everything, and sometimes he doesn’t like it, of course! But it’s necessary.”
STRONG FAITH
The Lawless family are tight-knit, and Antoinette credits this, along with their family’s faith, with her strength.
“I have great faith, and you can get angry, or upset, but you can’t let it take over. You get on with it - he’s back in his own bed, in his own room with his brother, and it’s wonderful to have him home”.
“He’s been on death’s door, let’s put it that way. It was horrific - at one stage we had doctors debating about the life support - would they take him off, would they leave it on - it was horrific. And I said to him, you can go if you want. You can go to God if you want. And he didn’t - and since that day, things started to turn around.”
Covid-19 restrictions had their own impact on the Lawless family, as Antoinette and Dáithí’s father, Liam could not visit their son in hospital at the same time and so, had to visit in turns.
Antoinette Lawless is particularly grateful to the community for the fundraising efforts under the Rise4Daithi cause.
“We’d like to thank everyone - here, in Limerick and in Galway where my husband is from. People I’ve never met - we’re so grateful and we can’t thank them enough. People even bring food - baking and soda bread! People are so kind, and I just want to say thank you on behalf of our whole family for your support”.