The sister of an American tourist brutally attacked in Dublin has told how he had been “saving every penny” for his trip of a lifetime to Ireland, reports The Mirror.
Stephen Termini of Buffalo, New York remains in a coma in the hospital, and his family fears he may have lost an eye to an unprovoked mob attack.
He was attacked by a group of youths as he left his Talbot Street residence – meters from Store Street Garda station – around 10.40pm on Wednesday evening.
His distraught sister Michelle told how he was scrimped and saving for over a year to fly to Ireland and find his family roots.
She said: “My brother had been working at a galvanizing plant, saving every penny to afford the trip, after losing his wife to illness last April. e had always dreamed of visiting Ireland. He was trying to trace our family that emigrated to the US from Dublin,” reports The Mirror.
Michelle said they were told as children that their grandfather was a painter who painted Dublin cathedrals and that their mother was from County Mayo.
The recently retired nurse added: “It’s been difficult to find any trace of them from here, so he thought perhaps he could learn more in Ireland. Our mother’s last request was to be buried in Ireland [2004]. He was unable to attend… but longed to visit her final resting place,” reports The Mirror.
Mr Termini, 57, was taken to Beaumont Hospital in critical condition after the attack.
Heartbroken, Michelle said she felt “helpless” because she couldn’t be with him and the family was desperate to get to his bedside.
Writing on a GoFundMe page set up by Stephen’s family, she revealed: “We feel so very helpless as none of us can afford the trip to be with him in his time of dire need. I understand that he may lose one of his eyes and suffer lifelong disability from this… Thank everyone for their thoughts and prayers,” reports The Mirror.
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