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A Galway road traffic accident survivor’s story |
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Written by Administrator
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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.
“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’”.
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