On Sunday, October 11th, at just 36 years of age, Padraig suffered a sudden and serious stroke. There were no warning signs.

The stroke was caused by an AVM (Arteriovenous Malformation), a rare and dangerous tangle of blood vessels in the brain, that suddenly ruptured. Just several hours beforehand, Padraig delivered birthday presents to my two boys & went home to prepare to fly back to work. It was then that he experienced sudden slurred speech and weakness in his right hand, and was rushed to hospital by his wife, Ciara.

Padraig was urgently transferred to the neuroscience unit in Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital where he underwent emergency brain surgery. A team of surgeons spent six and a half hours removing the AVM and repairing the surrounding blood vessels. Padraig has (for now) lost the ability to communicate through speech and has not yet regained movement on the right-hand side of his body.

If you know Padraig, you know he is full of life, hard-working, a devoted mate, loving husband and someone who'd give you the shirt off his back. He’s always been the first person to step up and help anyone else out. When my family moved from NSW to WA he didn’t hesitate to offer up his home to us while we found our feet.

That’s the type of person he is, always there when you need help. Now, it’s our turn to step up for him.

While he is fighting hard, the road ahead is going to be a massive battle. He is facing a long stretch of hospital recovery, intensive rehabilitation / physical therapy, and the financial weight of medical bills, time off work, and daily living costs is piling up fast.

We are raising funds to get behind Padraig and his family cover:

• Ongoing medical and specialist treatment costs

• Intensive rehabilitation and physical therapy

• Everyday living expenses while he is unable to work

• Support during this stressful time

Padraig originally from Castleisland Co. Kerry moved to Australia in 2010 and has worked and lived all over Australia. He now lives in Perth WA with his beautiful wife Ciara from Dublin and their dog Éala.

Any donation—no matter how small—will go directly toward easing this burden so he can focus 100% on healing and getting back on his feet. If you can't spare a dollar right now, please share this link around with your mates, work networks, and family. Every bit of support, every share, and every message means the world to him and his family.

Thank you so much for standing in his corner.

— Denis Nolan on behalf of Ciara and Padraig Maher.