A Wexford man is in intensive care in an Australian hospital following a one-punch attack in Perth last month.
Frank Staples, 41, was allegedly attacked outside a McDonald's restaurant on Beaufort Street in Perth, Australia, on Monday, July 24.
Frank was knocked to the ground after allegedly being punched in the side of the head, causing a brain hemorrhage and leaving him in a coma for several days.
He has since emerged from the coma but remains in ICU at Royal Perth Hospital. He still does not recognize his family, according to his father Jim.
A man has been charged with grievous bodily harm in connection with the incident and has since been released on bail.
His family remains unsure about what happened on the night of July 24.
"We don’t know what happened, there was a bit of an argument, someone hit him and he went to the ground, he was unconscious before he hit the concrete and he fractured his skull upon impact," Frank's sister, Sarah, told Wexford People.
"At the moment the doctors are just trying to make him follow commands, “open your eyes, squeeze my hand”, things like that. It’s so hard to see my brother like this, it’s the kind of thing you never think will happen to your own family."
Frank moved to Sydney, in April, for work and had moved to Perth last month shortly before the alleged attack took place. He had arrived in Australia ahead of his wife, Jackie, to set up a new life for both of them and had been working in construction.
Jackie has arrived in Australia to be with her husband following the attack but can only stay until the start of September. Frank's 71-year-old father, Jim, and his sister, Sarah, have also flown out to Australia to be with him.
Jim will remain in Australia until his son is well enough to travel home to Ireland, according to a post on GoFundMe. The online fundraiser is aiming to cover the extensive cost of Frank's treatment in addition to allowing his family to be with him in Australia.
"Since we don't have any family in Perth, the cost of flights to get here, transport, accommodation, and food are already adding up. On top of Frank's future medical expenses," Sarah Staples said in a post on GoFundMe.
"Jackie will stay in Perth as long as her job allows. My Dad is going to stay here until Frank is well enough that they can get him home. Considering his current condition it will be a very long time.
"We’ve had many messages and phone calls from people, especially the Irish here in Australia, which has been so heartwarming. If you want to help, this GoFundMe is going to alleviate a lot of stress for my family."
Jim praised the support he has received since landing in Australia to be with his son.
"The support we’ve received from everyone out here has been unreal, the local police collected me from the airport when I arrived, they’ve been fantastic, made sure we have everything we need," Jim told Wexford People.
He added that a Wexford native living in Australia has offered him accommodation while he is there,
However, Jim revealed that he is worried about how he will cope when Jackie and Sarah leave Australia.
"I probably won’t realize how tough things are until Sarah and Jackie leave and I’m on my own here, I’m trying to link in with some of the Irish groups while I’m here, build some connections."
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