The family of an Irishman left with life-changing
injuries after a cycling crash has enjoyed an incredible response to its
efforts to fundraise for his care, with more than €330,000 raised to date.
Des Vallely, a married father of two young children, crashed from his bike in Dublin city centre on January 8th and has still not been discharged from the National Rehabilitation Centre in Dun Laoghaire, south Co Dublin.
The 51-year-old businessman crashed from his bike in a
cycle lane and though he was wearing a helmet he hit his head on a bollard and
suffered a catastrophic head injury and related brain injury.
At the time he and his wife, Tara, were jointly running a food markets business, Irish Village Markets. Des was cycling between two of his market sites, on his way to Spencer Dock in the inner city, when he crashed just after crossing the Samuel Beckett Bridge.
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He was taken to hospital by ambulance and his head injury was so severe he needed to have a portion of his skull removed to alleviate the pressure of his swollen brain.
While he eventually woke from the coma he was in the Beaumont Hospital, he was left only able to communicate by blinking.
He was moved to St Vincent’s Hospital and when the Covid-19 pandemic hit visitor restrictions were introduced and Des’s children - Daniel (12) and Ella Rose (9) – were not able to visit him until July 8th.
It meant he was separated from his children from the time
of his crash until July 8th as his son and daughter were not allowed to visit
in the period between the crash and the pandemic starting, such was their
father’s critical condition.
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Tara launched the fundraising campaign - which you can donate to here - as she was determined her husband would be able to move home rather than going to a care facility.
However, he will need care and an adapted home, all of which is very costly. Des is in a wheelchair, can only communicate a little in whispers and has only very limited movement in his limbs due to his brain injury.
Tara set up the fundraising campaign with a goal of raising €400,000 for Des's care in the next few years and now some €331,000 has been raised, with more funds coming in all the time.
Tara has now given an update on Des, saying while he was due to be discharged from the National Rehabilitation Centre on November 6th, that has been delayed until a firm post-release care plan is in place for him.
However, she is hopeful that will be in place early next month, adding firm plans are now taking shape and that the family’s ‘Walk Des Home Campaign’ – aimed at settling him back home with his family rather than him moving to a nursing home – is still on track.
“We have found a suitable property to rent for the next
couple of years which will give us some breathing space to figure out the
long-term plan,” she said.
“Park Developments very kindly offered to install a small
wet-room for Des in the new house which was one of the big difficulties in
finding a suitable property.
“Once we have the house ready, I need to find staff
including nurses, carers, physios, occupational therapist and speech and
language. We are very excited about Des coming home as it will be so lovely to
have his presence in the house.
“The kids can’t wait and I am so looking forward to just being able to give him a hug and tell him how much I love him. I believe when Des comes home it will give him the very best chance of recovery and we will be together as a family once again."
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