The family of a man who was left in intensive care after a severe home invasion nearly a year ago fear he is “never going to get much better,” reports The Mirror.
Tom Niland, 73, is in critical condition after the burglary at his home in Skreen, County Sligo on January 18 – and despite some minor signs of recovery he remains in intensive care, unable to move or speak.
Now his cousin Michael, who visits him in the hospital almost every day, says he fears Tom’s recovery could take years if he ever fully recovers.
“He’s still in ICU, still critical. We’re resigned to the fact now that he’s never going to be much better. They still cannot get him out of the ICU. They need the beds but they told me Tom can’’t be let go until he gets to a certain level, if he ever gets to that level” Michael said, reports The Mirror.
Earlier this year, the family had some hope when Tom opened one of his eyes and regained consciousness after months in a coma.
Despite these advances, he remains unable to communicate, and Michael says it’s unclear if he knows what’s going on around him.
Michael says he feels like when Tom knows what’s going on he seems “depressed” and says he actually shed a tear while speaking to him the other day.
“Yesterday I was with him for a while. He looked at me, but he was just staring into space. The fact that he’s conscious is a good thing and a bad thing but it’s brought its own problems in that he seems to be totally depressed. Because you know he realises people are coming in and out and he’s stuck there in the bed and he can’t move. I told him if he kept trying to move it will happen you know because they said it could go on for a couple of years and he may move but I don’t know,” reports The Mirror.
Michael says Christmas this year will be incredibly difficult for the family who were so close to Tom, who lived alone.
According to The Mirror, Micheal said: “It is difficult because we’re all getting ready for fun and a bit of a family get together and plan a Christmas meal. But nobody can really enjoy it because we have in the background this major loss.”
“When you’re in hospital like that you’re drifting in and out of sleep. Even if he does realise that, which I think he does to a certain extent,he knows he’s imobile and this looks like it’s as good as it’s going to get,” he added, reports The Mirror.
Three Co Mayo men are currently on trial for assaulting and wrongly imprisoning Tom Niland and accused of aggravated burglary with a knife at his country home in Skreen, Co. Sligo.
Francis Harman (54) of Nephin Court, Killala Road, Ballina; John Irving, 28, of Shanwar, Foxford, and John Clarke, 32, of Carrowkelly, Ballina, are due to stand trial in June 2023.
Tell us your thoughts in the Facebook post and share this with your friends.