The heartbreak of a twin brother who fears his brother will never walk again after both were seriously injured in a near-tragic workplace accident
A heartbroken teenager fears his twin brother may never walk again after they were both injured in a work accident in north-east Queensland.
Ethan and Christian Desborough, 18, had been at their new job for a week when steel beams weighing 2.5 tonnes fell while they were being transferred on September 18.
Ethan bore the brunt of the tragedy at a business in Paget, a suburb of Mackay, suffering significant injuries including permanent damage to his spine.
Christian saw this happen and was also hit, with one of his legs “crushed by two beams” – he was lucky as there was no fracture, but it was badly bruised.
He said Ethan was “lucky to be alive” after seven steel beams fell on him. “The doctor told us that he had very little chance, if any, of ever walking again,” Christian told the Courier mail.
Ethan Desborough (pictured) suffered serious injuries, including permanent spinal damage, after seven steel beams fell on him.
Christian (pictured) saw this happen and was also hit, with one of his legs “crushed by two beams”. He was lucky there was no fracture, but she was badly bruised.
The twins were initially taken to Mackay Base Hospital, but Ethan’s injuries were so severe (he is paralyzed from the knees down) that he was flown to Townsville for treatment .
When Ethan’s treatment is completed with surgery, he will likely be taken to Brisbane for therapy and rehabilitation.
For now, however, the twins’ parents, Ryan and Makisha, have moved to Townsville to be with their distressed son.
The incident happened on Monday, September 18 at a business in Paget and a GoFundMe to help the family dealing with the unknown has been launched.
Mrs. Desborough has create a GoFundMe page to help raise money to help cover their expenses while they care for Ethan in the hospital.
“I had to start a new job that I had to postpone and my husband had to miss work,” she wrote on the fundraising page, which had more than $7,000 in donations as of Thursday after -noon.
“We have no idea how long we will be in Townsville after his operation.” We will need housing and supplies for as long as we are there.
She said the family was grateful Ethan was alive, while Christian said his brother was “a brave little man, he was positive throughout”.
The twins are very close to each other. “I couldn’t sleep the last two nights after seeing him get run over,” Christian said.
“I keep seeing him lying there and I always hear the metal crashing to the ground.”
His father said the last three days have been a an “emotional roller coaster” and the family is “running on empty”, but “stay strong” for their son and brother.
“Ethan has just turned 18 and doesn’t deserve this, he has a huge future ahead of him, it’s just not fair,” Ms Desborough wrote on the GoFundMe site.
Parents praised their sons’ employer for being very supportive, they said.
Ethan Desborough (pictured) is paralyzed from the knees down and may never walk again
READ MORE: New details emerge after boy, 16, killed in horror crash while leaving road
The driver of a commercial vehicle who left the road and crashed into a tree, killing his 16-year-old friend, was allegedly unlicensed.
Ryan Berry, 16, was on his way to the gym with two friends when the vehicle he was a passenger in crashed at a roundabout in Yanchep, a coastal suburb of Perth, around 9.40pm on Tuesday.
Security camera footage captured the moment the Holden Crewman approached the intersection of Beach Road and Parkland Drive, with residents saying they heard a car revving before the crash.
Police are pictured at the scene of the crash at the intersection of Beach Road and Parkland Drive.
