A Co Wexford man who was hospitalised following a one punch attack in Australia has come out of a coma but remains in intensive care and is facing “a long road back” to full health.
Frank Staples (41), from Wexford town, was seriously injured outside a McDonalds outlet on Beaufort Street in Perth on July 24th. He fell to the ground after allegedly being punched in the side of the head.
The incident is understood to have been captured on CCTV and a man has been charged with causing grievous bodily harm in connection with the incident. He has been released on bail.
Mr Staples, an engineer, was diagnosed with a brain haemorrhage and was in a coma for several days at the Royal Perth Hospital, his family said. He travelled to Sydney for work last April and was visiting to Perth when the incident occurred.
His father Jim and sister Sarah travelled to Australia to be close to Mr Staples following the incident. Ms Staples has started an online fundraising appeal to help cover her brother’s healthcare costs.
His uncle Frank Staples, a Fine Gael councillor in Co Wexford, said his nephew has come “out of a coma, his eyes are open, he’s not talking and doesn’t recognise anyone but hopefully time will improve things”.
“It’s going to be long road back for him,” he said.
“He’s getting great hospital care in Perth. People there have been so helpful and local people in Wexford have been such a big help to us - it really means so much as it’s lifting our spirits.”
The GoFundMe appeal raised more than AU$14,000 out of a target of AU$100,000 by Wednesday afternoon.