The family of a father-of-two who was left seriously injured and bedridden after a horrific accident at work have spoken about the long road to recovery that awaits him.
Tyson Purcell, 32, was working on a farm in Ilowa, Warrnambool, on Victoria’s south-west coast, on January 31 when the accident occurred.
The young father was hooking his harness on top of a water tank when he took a wrong step and fell 2.5m to the concrete below.
The self-employed pump and irrigation specialist fell headlong.
Purcell suffered multiple injuries, including a skull fracture, two brain bleeds and a cut to his left thigh.
Father-of-two Tyson Purcell (pictured) has a long road to recovery ahead of him
The self-employed worker also injured the opening at the base of his skull where the spinal cord connects to the brain, called the foramen magnum.
The father was initially treated locally but was then flown to Melbourne’s Alfred Hospital where he remained for several days.
After being released from the hospital, Purcell now has a minimum of three months of bed rest to recover.
Doctors hope both the brain bleeds and fractures will heal, and there is a chance the father will need rehabilitation.
The irrigation worker has been told he is now at increased risk of having a stroke or seizures due to the brain bleeds he is still suffering from.
Mr Purcell’s fiancé Jess Evans has taken time off work but is no longer entitled to holiday, meaning the young family has no source of income at the moment.
Family friend Mel Howley said 7news.com.au that the couple is in a difficult situation at the moment.
Howley said Purcell’s movement is limited and “extremely laborious.”
‘It’s a long road. “They’ve told him three months, but who knows, honestly, how long he won’t be able to work or drive,” she said.
Ms Evans, who is a disability support worker, looks after her fiancé and runs after her two children, aged 10 and eight, and her two dogs.
Howley said the mother runs around after the children, arranging school trips and taking her fiancé to appointments, leaving her exhausted.
Friends, family and the local community have come out in support of Tyson and his fiancée Jess (pictured with her family).
To make matters worse, the fear that something else could happen to Purcell, such as a stroke, is negatively impacting Evans.
Mrs Howley described the couple as “beyond generous” and the first to help others.
Mrs. Howley has created a online fundraising to assist with ongoing medical bills.
‘I’m raising funds for this amazing family, so they can focus on healing, without the stress of wondering how they will put food on the table, fuel their car for specialist visits in Melbourne or pay for the multitude of doctor visits/ physiotherapist. invoices,” says the page
“Anyone who knows Tyson and Jess knows they would gladly give the jersey to someone else.
Ms Evans thanked family, friends and community members who have come together to support the family as they try to recover.
More than $5,700 has been raised.
“Health is our number one priority right now, so it’s nice to know that the kindness of others means that, as a family, we can focus on healing without the burden of stressing about how we will pay for all future doctor’s appointments,” she said Mrs. Evans said.
Howley added that the positive response to the fundraiser shows the kind of people the couple are.