Change Mark ‘Dutchy’ Ryan’s Life
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Change Mark ‘Dutchy’ Ryan’s Life
Hi my name is Kellie Ryan, I am Mark ‘Dutchy’ Ryan’s sister. Myself and the family want to help Mark rebuild his life and support him after a devastating and tragic accident.
Mark ‘Dutchy’ Ryan is a loveable larrikin. He is a sport-loving, hard-working, determined, courageous, gutsy and funny as hell, father of two boys.
On Monday, January 14, 2019 at 4.50am, Mark was driving to work. Whilst driving through an intersection his car was hit by another car, containing 6 youths. Travelling in excess of 100kms and running a red light, Mark wouldn’t even have seen it coming. And just like that, in an instant, life as he knew it would be changed forever!
Mark was rushed to The Alfred Hospital, Melbourne, Victoria for emergency surgery. The surgery was to relieve a sub-dural bleed on the right side of his brain. Mark was placed in an induced coma, occupying a bed in the ICU for 4 weeks.
We were told that Mark had suffered a severe Traumatic Brain Injury and that his prognosis was unknown!! No one could tell us whether he would survive and that if he did survive, what his outcome might look like:-
“No two brain injuries are ever the same”
“No-one is ever the same after this type of injury”
“He will never work again “
“What would Mark be happy with?, would he be happy in a vegetative state needing 24/7 high-grade nursing care?”
These were the types of comments and questions we were delivered in those first 2-3 weeks.
With very little, if any positive feedback or prognosis all we had was hope, prayers and faith in the knowing that Mark was a fighter and would be giving it everything he had. Mark is one of the most determined, tenacious, gutsy people we know and if there was any way at all that he could get through this he would find it.
4 weeks in ICU, then 5 weeks in the neuro ward, he now has a bed at the Acquired Brain Injury, Rehabilitation Centre (ABI) in Caulfield. We have visited him every day and watched step-by-step as he works tirelessly to re-build his life.
He has made so much progress but with any brain injury and especially one like Marks which is known as a Diffuse Axonal Injury (DAI) where the damage is scattered in several parts of his brain. The road/path/journey is a long and arduous one, with no guarantees of recovery.
He is having to re-learn everything, breathing, swallowing, eating, walking, bathing, talking, toileting training. And if he does re-learn all of these things to a satisfactory level, it is uncertain whether he will ever be able to work again, drive again or play sport again. It will be sometime before we know what his cognitive ability will be.
What Can You Do To Help?
We want to help change Marks life! We are looking to raise money to support Mark’s quality of life. We want to raise money so that he will have choices, independence and options. There is so little known in regards to recovery and outcome from severe Traumatic brain injuries. We want to be able to provide him with the best possible specialist care to maximize his recovery.
Mark is a fighter. Help Mark win his biggest battle yet!
100% of all monies raised will be utilized solely for the purpose of maximizing Mark’s recovery, independence and for his future security.
Hi my name is Kellie Ryan, I am Mark ‘Dutchy’ Ryan’s sister. Myself and the family want to help Mark rebuild his life and support him after a devastating and tragic accident.
Mark ‘Dutchy’ Ryan is a loveable larrikin. He is a sport-loving, hard-working, determined, courageous, gutsy and funny as hell, father of two boys.
On Monday, January 14, 2019 at 4.50am, Mark was driving to work. Whilst driving through an intersection his car was hit by another car, containing 6 youths. Travelling in excess of 100kms and running a red light, Mark wouldn’t even have seen it coming. And just like that, in an instant, life as he knew it would be changed forever!
Mark was rushed to The Alfred Hospital, Melbourne, Victoria for emergency surgery. The surgery was to relieve a sub-dural bleed on the right side of his brain. Mark was placed in an induced coma, occupying a bed in the ICU for 4 weeks.
We were told that Mark had suffered a severe Traumatic Brain Injury and that his prognosis was unknown!! No one could tell us whether he would survive and that if he did survive, what his outcome might look like:-
“No two brain injuries are ever the same”
“No-one is ever the same after this type of injury”
“He will never work again “
“What would Mark be happy with?, would he be happy in a vegetative state needing 24/7 high-grade nursing care?”
These were the types of comments and questions we were delivered in those first 2-3 weeks.
With very little, if any positive feedback or prognosis all we had was hope, prayers and faith in the knowing that Mark was a fighter and would be giving it everything he had. Mark is one of the most determined, tenacious, gutsy people we know and if there was any way at all that he could get through this he would find it.
4 weeks in ICU, then 5 weeks in the neuro ward, he now has a bed at the Acquired Brain Injury, Rehabilitation Centre (ABI) in Caulfield. We have visited him every day and watched step-by-step as he works tirelessly to re-build his life.
He has made so much progress but with any brain injury and especially one like Marks which is known as a Diffuse Axonal Injury (DAI) where the damage is scattered in several parts of his brain. The road/path/journey is a long and arduous one, with no guarantees of recovery.
He is having to re-learn everything, breathing, swallowing, eating, walking, bathing, talking, toileting training. And if he does re-learn all of these things to a satisfactory level, it is uncertain whether he will ever be able to work again, drive again or play sport again. It will be sometime before we know what his cognitive ability will be.
What Can You Do To Help?
We want to help change Marks life! We are looking to raise money to support Mark’s quality of life. We want to raise money so that he will have choices, independence and options. There is so little known in regards to recovery and outcome from severe Traumatic brain injuries. We want to be able to provide him with the best possible specialist care to maximize his recovery.
Mark is a fighter. Help Mark win his biggest battle yet!
100% of all monies raised will be utilized solely for the purpose of maximizing Mark’s recovery, independence and for his future security.
Organizer
Kellie Ryan
Organizer
Cape Schanck VIC
