Fundraising will help cover hospital bills of attack victim

FUNDRAISERS are helping an Irishman, who was left in a coma after an attack in the United States, pay for his expensive medical care.

The money has been raised in the past week, since a local committee in John Brennan’s home parish of Clara in Kilkenny clubbed together to meet his $11,000-a-day hospital care.

John spent his 21st birthday yesterday recovering from what his parents hope will be his final operation.

Tomorrow, fundraisers will lodge $20,000 up front with one of the world’s top rehabilitation centres to confirm his place there for the next month or so.

A further $20,000 will be needed in a month’s time when he leaves the

centre in New Haven in Connecticut.

Nobody yet knows what his hospital bill will come to but it is expected to exceed $150,000. His health insurance only covered the first $65,000.

“The response to the trust fund and medical fund appeals has been phenomenal,” said John’s cousin and local fundraiser Matty Byrne.

“We got a lot of money up front for the golf classic we’re running next weekend. A lot of other sponsorship money has gone into meeting this cost. “We’ve no idea what the total of that bill will be yet. VHI have been fantastic though and they are flying him home, whenever he’s well enough to travel,” Mr Byrne added.

The young carpenter was in the US just over a month when he suffered

serious head injuries in an unprovoked attack outside an Irish bar in New Haven almost three weeks ago. He had a bone removed from his scull to ease swelling in his brain. That bone was

replaced on Tuesday. “We’ve no idea what the total of that bill will be yet. VHI have been fantastic though and they are flying him home, whenever he’s well enough to travel,” Mr Byrne added.

The young carpenter was in the US just over a month when he suffered

serious head injuries in an unprovoked attack outside an Irish bar in New Haven almost three weeks ago. He had a bone removed from his scull to ease swelling in his brain. That bone was

replaced on Tuesday. Meanwhile, a golf classic which runs at Gowran Golf Club in Kilkenny on Saturday and Sunday of the Bank Holiday weekend is almost fully booked and tickets for a race night at the dog track in the city on November 1 are selling fast.

Money has flooded into the trust fund account. One of the many donations was from a woman in Kerry who sent a 50 postal order to John’s uncle, David Brennan, after she saw an article last week in the Irish Examiner.

Donations can be made to the Clara Trust Fund at the AIB Bank, Dublin Road Kilkenny, sort code 93-34-22 and account number 36701037.