Help John fight his cancer to come home to his son

He survived a gang beating which left him with catastrophic injuries but now John Connolly is fighting his own battle against life-threatening cancer.

The police officer was off-duty and out walking his dog when he tried to break up a fight near his home in Tuakau in 2010.

John was seriously injured when he was hit from behind and knocked to the ground by a mob of more than 30 teenagers then repeatedly kicked and stomped. He was taken to hospital with a fractured skull, multiple facial fractures, a collapsed lung, broken jaw, and a broken ankle.

His injuries were so severe he had to be placed in an induced coma and colleagues feared he could die.

But British-born John proved them wrong and after undergoing surgery to have a titanium plate inserted in his skull he returned to his post at Papakura police station.

He was hailed a hero by the then Police Minister Judith Collins who said his actions had saved a girl’s life although John insisted he was just doing his job. “People expect us to do this, and I did.”

In June the 44-year-old got the devastating news that he had throat cancer and was told no treatment was available for him in New Zealand other than palliative care.

“It came as a complete shock and we couldn’t believe there was no medical help available,” said Liz Harker, John’s former wife and mother of the couple’s eight-year-old son William.

“His only chance is to return to the UK and pay for a private operation which is going to cost a small fortune. At the moment there is no way he can afford the treatment and I want to help with fundraising so that he can have the operation.

“John’s done so much for the community I thought people would like the chance to do something for him. His health has never been the same since the attack.”