A Galway road traffic accident survivor’s story

Written by Administrator

Wednesday, 21 February 2007

Micilín Feeney from Lettermullen Co. Galway is 25 years old. On Halloween night in 2004, Micilín was involved in a serious car accident. He now campaigns on road safety awareness and speaks publicly about his personal experiences of the consequences of being involved in a road accident. This is a copy of the speech he gave to the Ógra Fianna Fáil conference at the weekend.

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“My name is Micilín Feeney and I’m here to tell my story, a short story of my 25 years, two of which have been spent with a disability. My disability is an Acquired Head Injury, which I sustained in a car crash on Halloween Night 2004.

“And with a cruel twist of fate I was named Lettermore Player of the year in 2004. My mother went to the awards ceremony and collected my trophy because I was still in Galway Hospital at the time.

“I was a block layer by trade, which I loved, but with the injury, my balance went AWOL. My social life too suffered.

“I didn’t want my fiancée of the time to go down that miserable road with me, so I decided we should split up. Right or wrong, I’ll never know.

“I don’t remember much about the accident itself. I don’t remember the accident actually.

“The weather was dry but cold, it was Sunday, 31 October.
“I, like most people my age, was passionate about sport, in particular Gaelic Football.
{joomsay}In total, I spent eight months in hospital between, Galway, Beaumount, Galway again and finally three months in the National Rehabilitation Hospital in Dublin.{/joomsay}
“I have been told I was at a football match that day in Carraroe. I had been playing cards for most of the evening in a pub. I was drinking cider while playing cards – I don’t know how much I had to drink, but my cousin saw me and thought I looked sound. But I drank to excess most weekend nights.

“I got into my Mazda 323 about 11.30pm that night and luckily there was no one else in the car and there was no other car involved in the accident.

“I was found by an undertaker at 12.05am. I had fallen asleep while driving and went off the road.

“I was unconscious when I was found and the ambulance workers thought I was taking my last breath from the sounds I was making. I remained unconscious for another four weeks.

“My dad had died of cancer three weeks before my accident and that was a blow I though I’d never recover from and almost didn’t.

“While in a coma, my friend died in a car crash (three weeks after my car accident).

“Nurses in Galway kept my spirits up. Apart from nurses, there were the physios, occupational therapists and the speech therapist – they were all great, I owe them all a great big thanks.

“In total, I spent eight months in hospital between, Galway, Beaumount, Galway again and finally three months in the National Rehabilitation Hospital in Dublin.

“My balance has been affected for life. My speech is low and sometimes slurred.
My confidence was gone but I am slowly but surely getting it back. My memory wouldn’t be the sharpest tool in the box, but it is improving.

“I am currently in Quest Brain Injury Services in Galway, studying Living Skills, Social Integration and Computer Skills.

“My sanity has slowly returned and more importantly my confidence. I am looking forward, not backwards, with hope.

“I will leave you with this saying; ‘The glory’s not in ever failing, but rising every time you fall’”.

Comments (7) »

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written by katherine morgan, February 05, 2008

hi micilin,its very brave of you to share your story the way you have to help others.well done on the way your rebuilding your life.i wish you all the best for the future..katherine..

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written by Breda, August 03, 2008

Hi micilin, just came across this piece, fair play to you, i'm so proud of you and everything you are doing to open peoples eyes on road safety awareness, from your friend forever Breda x

fair play
written by Agnes Duke, October 01, 2008

Hey Micilín, just want to say fair play to you and thanks for sharing your story. i think that it''s realy brave of you to share this story s i'm a young driver and know of people who have died in an accident. good luck in the future and i wish you well.

Well Done Micilin
written by karl, November 18, 2008

Howya Micilin,
I'd just like to say well done to you for bouncing back after your horrific accident. You are a credit to your family and an example to all of the "would be" drink drivers around our county and country. You were man enough to face things head-on and admit the facts. Fair play to you. Keep up the good work.

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written by sheena burke, December 18, 2008

hi micilin,you are a very lucky man to be alive however you are also very lucky you didnt kill someone innocent.its horrifying to think people still drink and drive. it is so irresponsible.why are people still drinking and driving? will we ever learn as a nation that we dont have the right to put others lives , whatever about our own, in danger.i understand your need after surviving this to try and persuade others not to go down the road you have .you say your friend died 3 weeks after your crash. was he drinking and driving?an accident is an accident but drinking and driving is gambling with lives including others,something which no one has the right to do.this problem is a social problem.its a shameful problem.

re: stubbled across the article about you in the Galway Independent
written by Jim Mc Ateer, February 06, 2010

Hi Micilín,

I wish you well in your recovery from your injuries. I to know what it is loke to go through the trauma and suffering afterwards. in Jan '94, Jan ' 96 & Jan '97 my car was rode off from behind and in '97 i was sandwiched in a 7 car pile up near Dungannon, and i got little or nothing terms on compensation, even though none of these were my fault.The insurance co's and solictors are not all they purport to be in my view.

A reason i write is to tell you about a health beverage drink which rid my body of the inflammtion i developed in my joints and throughout my body. I was have alot of adverse effects of being constantly on tablets and when i took this drink it really have my whole body to greatly improve. It is made from a fruit called Mangosteen and it helps to renew the cellar structure of the body. My dad's knee is wear so bad that he limps constantly. However, when he takes this drink he can walk normally. He is the most sceptic person you could meet but now he admits that it has changed his life.

check out www.mangosteenfruitinfo.com

Keep your chin up.

Jim (Armagh)

re: stubbled across the article about you in the Galway Independent
written by Jim Mc Ateer, February 06, 2010

Hi Micilín,

I meant to add my email address to my comment should you or anyone else seek more information on the mangosteen product.

It is This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

Regards

JIM

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