A charity sportive last year ended in tragedy for one Irish cyclist when he crashed and was paralysed. But while he may be moving on and trying as best he can to put his life back together, Declan Naughton has been hit with a huge financial challenge just to get home to his family.
A Dublin father of two and former cyclist has spoken of how his life was turned upside down by a crash while cycling last year.
And now that he is trying to get home to his family, he has been told he is not eligible for a grant to modify his home for a wheelchair.
Declan Naughton was riding an Alzheimer’s Society of Ireland charity sportive in June when he crashed and was paralysed from the chest down.
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The married father of two boys - Cillian (12) and Callum (7) – has now been forced to rebuild his life.
A volunteer himself with many good causes before his cycling crash, a GoFundMe page has been established for him.
And it had already raised just under €89,000 at the time of writing; of a target €250,000. The money is needed to adapt his home in Celbridge, Co Kildare, and make it wheelchair friendly.
The famile had applied to Kildare County Council for a home adaptation grant but were turned down.
The couple were rejected on the basis their income in 2017 was higher than the threshold permitted.
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And even when applying for planning permission to carry out the works that need to be done, the council said it had no choice but to charge them the standard €4,000 fee.
Speaking on Today with Sean O’Rourke on RTE Radio 1, Declan and wife Louise outlined the impact of the cycling crash.
Declan said the means testing for the grant to carry out the work at home does not take into account future earnings.
And so it does not factor in that a victim’s income may be adversely impacted because of a crash or accident.
“I think you wouldn’t be human if you weren’t angry,” Declan said of the impact of the crash on his mindset.
“And I am still am angry; still feel sorry for myself. But it’s not always that way. About 80 per cent of your tome you’re upbeat and you’re looking forward to the next step.”
Louise pointed out that because Declan will need expert care at home and that care is not yet in place, he’s still not living back home.
He has now moved from the National Spinal Unit in the Mater Hospital to the National Rehabilitation Hospital in Dun Laoghaire.
There he is learning to adapt to his new reality as a wheelchair user, facing into a new and a very different way of life.
“It’s still a bit of a battle, Declan should have been home by now, but the care package is the issue,” Louise said of trying to get her husband home.
"I have always worked, Declan has always worked. We have contributed to the economy.
"But when the chips are down and you need a bit of help, it is just not there for you. You feel so let down.
"We want to be a family in our home. It is about getting us back together. I have been without my husband for seven months. We need the care in place for him.
"Prior to the accident, Declan was so active. He was in the gym five to six times a week."
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