Des Vallely loved life. The only thing he loved more was his family - Tara, Daniel (12) and Ella Rose (9). Des saw life as an adventure. He ventured overseas. He ventured into Ireland. He ventured into his own successful business ‘Irish Village Markets’.
Des was blessed with the will to live, out-in-the world. But on January 8th pre-Covid the adventure turned to tragedy. Wheeling care-free in Dublin city on his electric bicycle Des had an accident in a cycle lane. Even his helmet did not save him from a crushing blow to the skull against a cycle bollard. Life was never to be the same for Des and his family.
Des through no fault of his own was thrown into darkness, lying in a coma in Beaumont Hospital, it was touch and go. Half of his skull was removed by life-saving surgery…the will-to-live now lay within. Grief stricken, for Tara his wife there was no sign of life. When Des’s eyes eventually opened, that was all that he could move.
Eventually he was taken to the National Rehabilitation Hospital in Dun Laoghaire. While other people were locked into Covid, Des was locked into himself. His family was locked out. The distortion of his skull was deemed too much for his children Daniel and Ella Rose to visit.
Eventually thanks to the efforts of the staff of the National Rehabilitation Hospital and Des’s will-to-live he has started on a new venture. Trying to communicate with the blink of an eye. Trying to talk in inaudible whispers and trying to move his limbs. We can see that his fighting spirit still remains.
It has taken its toll on Des and Tara. Restricted from seeing Des because of Covid, Tara could see his adventurous spirit drain and dissipate. The only shining light that Tara can see was the spark of life she saw in his eyes when his children were eventually allowed to visit.
This has given Tara hope. Hope that when with his family, he was alive to-the-world from within. This hope has made Tara and her family determined to bring Des home to continue the improvement that is evident when he is in their company.
The only alternative option for Des at the moment is long-term hospitalisation or nursing home care where his family will not be allowed to visit. Undeterred by prohibitive costs of caring for Des at home, Tara is appealing to other families to help. This is an urgent appeal as Des is due for discharge from the NRH on the 6th November.
'Walk Des Home' is a fundraising Appeal which aims to raise 400K with your help so that one day Des can venture out to walk with his family because of his will-to-live.
Healthcare Funding Costs for 1 year:
- Nursing care 7 days per week 12 hrs per day: €80k - €100k
- Carer 7 nights per week: €65k
- Physio 4 per week: €17k
- Speech & language: €17k
- Occupational therapy: €12,500
- Osteopathy: € 7,800
€400k will fund Des for two years.
You can help fundraising by donating now through the Go Fund Me link here.
