Eamonn Walsh Stroke Rehabilitation Fund

After suffering a catastrophic stroke overnight on the 30th of April, during very inclement weather conditions in the relatively isolated town of Coromandel which was cut off by road closures and being battered by high winds, Dad managed to hang on long enough to be taken by helicopter to Auckland hospital on the 1st of May in the middle of a doctor's strike where the ED determined he was past the initial 6 hour window for emergency treatment, stabilised him and transferred him to Waikato hospital, a trip which did him absolutely no good and nearly ended his life.

Upon arriving in Waikato doctors determined that he was battling two separate infections, one in his lungs and one in his bowel and his kidneys were failing, we were advised to get there as soon as possible if we wanted to see him as it could be too late any time. The following 36 hours were very touch and go with little improvement to his blood work but through the marvels of modern medicine, a lot of determination and toughness on the old man's part and probably a good bit of luck, Dad managed to make it through the worst few days of his life.

He is not out of the woods yet and nothing should be taken for granted but he is growing stronger all the time and has got a hellish road ahead of him at 77 years old to try and regain what function he can and win back some quality of life. Doctors tell us that having his family present during this is likely to improve the outcome and we're all ready to do whatever we can.