Nathan's spinal injury
Donation protected
On Saturday March 30, my younger brother Nathan, a lively, energetic young man had embarked on a motorbike ride in the sand dunes of Canunda National Park with a couple of his friends, a regular outing and something he enjoyed.
Just moments later, Nathan would experience a horrific accident due to nothing more than errored judgement which has subsequently changed his life forever.
Coming off of his motorbike from quite a height, Nathan was lucky to be alive. Something we are thankful for, however, at that point, the extensiveness of his injuries was not clear. The ambulance was called, eventually ending with a Medstar helicopter being deployed from Adelaide to complete a full rescue mission.
Nathan spent approximately 6 hours in the sand dunes, in agony, surrounded by his friends and the SA Ambulance Service crew before Medstar doctors were able to assist him on the ground.
Due to the severity of his injuries, he was given a full blood transfusion on the ground and also placed into a coma for transportation.
At this point, we still had no idea what the outcome of his accident was.
Fast forward to the next morning, receiving a call from my Dad which is probably one of the worst I have ever recieved.
Nathan had sustained multiple serious injuries including broken ribs, punctured lungs, broken collar bone, broken nose, broken femur and the worst, severe spinal damage and was not in a good way.
With Nathan still in a coma, surgeons at the RAH set to work to try and repair the damage. First, a spinal operation, lasting several hours, and probably the biggest blow. After surgery, my parents were notified that the outcome of Nathan walking again was slim due to the damage sustained to the nerves in his spine. The next day, they then set out to repair the other damage, adding plates to support other breaks.
A few days later Nathan was gradually woken from his coma, groggy and unsure of what had really happened, he was then notified by his surgeon the outcome of his accident.
For anyone, being told you may never walk again, would be horrific, but for my brother even more so as he is not someone who ever sits still, he is an extremely hard worker, always busy and always active, and finally, Nathan's partner Shelly is pregnant with the couples first child, due in August, further adding to the mental and emotional strain being faced with a whole new way of life.
It's now been several weeks since that day. The days are up and down, but due to pain, they can be long and tiring. Nathan has had a world of support from family and friends, working as hard as we can to travel back and forth to Adelaide to offer our support to him and Shelly, but as the weeks tick on and reality starts to settle, so does the factor of costs and what ifs, and hows.
As my brother and his partner face what is likely to be the biggest challenge of their lives, during the pregnancy and impending birth of their first child which should be a time of celebration and love, I feel it is my duty as his big sister to ensure as much pressure is taken off them both as possible.
This accident has meant that his partner has relocated to Adelaide, without a timeframe of how long.
Is unable to work as she supports Nathan from his bedside. Nathan also unable to work.
The cost of living is just one factor, with further costs of medical bills and changes to lifestyle looming on the horizon, as well as the cost of a new baby.
Nathan is not someone who ever asks for much, when i gauged the idea of a Go Fund Me page, they were not overly keen, but he is a person who has always gone out of his way to help other people, worked hard for what he has. He has always been the larrikin and the life of the party, and I feel they deserve extra support during this time.
Any help is appreciated.
And finally, with all our hearts we would like to show our immense gratitude for those who have stood by him, and our family and extended families during this time.
Thank you.
Just moments later, Nathan would experience a horrific accident due to nothing more than errored judgement which has subsequently changed his life forever.
Coming off of his motorbike from quite a height, Nathan was lucky to be alive. Something we are thankful for, however, at that point, the extensiveness of his injuries was not clear. The ambulance was called, eventually ending with a Medstar helicopter being deployed from Adelaide to complete a full rescue mission.
Nathan spent approximately 6 hours in the sand dunes, in agony, surrounded by his friends and the SA Ambulance Service crew before Medstar doctors were able to assist him on the ground.
Due to the severity of his injuries, he was given a full blood transfusion on the ground and also placed into a coma for transportation.
At this point, we still had no idea what the outcome of his accident was.
Fast forward to the next morning, receiving a call from my Dad which is probably one of the worst I have ever recieved.
Nathan had sustained multiple serious injuries including broken ribs, punctured lungs, broken collar bone, broken nose, broken femur and the worst, severe spinal damage and was not in a good way.
With Nathan still in a coma, surgeons at the RAH set to work to try and repair the damage. First, a spinal operation, lasting several hours, and probably the biggest blow. After surgery, my parents were notified that the outcome of Nathan walking again was slim due to the damage sustained to the nerves in his spine. The next day, they then set out to repair the other damage, adding plates to support other breaks.
A few days later Nathan was gradually woken from his coma, groggy and unsure of what had really happened, he was then notified by his surgeon the outcome of his accident.
For anyone, being told you may never walk again, would be horrific, but for my brother even more so as he is not someone who ever sits still, he is an extremely hard worker, always busy and always active, and finally, Nathan's partner Shelly is pregnant with the couples first child, due in August, further adding to the mental and emotional strain being faced with a whole new way of life.
It's now been several weeks since that day. The days are up and down, but due to pain, they can be long and tiring. Nathan has had a world of support from family and friends, working as hard as we can to travel back and forth to Adelaide to offer our support to him and Shelly, but as the weeks tick on and reality starts to settle, so does the factor of costs and what ifs, and hows.
As my brother and his partner face what is likely to be the biggest challenge of their lives, during the pregnancy and impending birth of their first child which should be a time of celebration and love, I feel it is my duty as his big sister to ensure as much pressure is taken off them both as possible.
This accident has meant that his partner has relocated to Adelaide, without a timeframe of how long.
Is unable to work as she supports Nathan from his bedside. Nathan also unable to work.
The cost of living is just one factor, with further costs of medical bills and changes to lifestyle looming on the horizon, as well as the cost of a new baby.
Nathan is not someone who ever asks for much, when i gauged the idea of a Go Fund Me page, they were not overly keen, but he is a person who has always gone out of his way to help other people, worked hard for what he has. He has always been the larrikin and the life of the party, and I feel they deserve extra support during this time.
Any help is appreciated.
And finally, with all our hearts we would like to show our immense gratitude for those who have stood by him, and our family and extended families during this time.
Thank you.
Organizer and beneficiary
Jessie Louise
Organizer
Adelaide SA
Nathan Foote
Beneficiary
