MARTINA COX HAS described the emotional moment when she saw her husband Sean walk again for the first time since a vicious attack left him with life-changing injuries five years ago.
Sean (57) received serious brain injuries following an unprovoked assault by Roma fans outside Anfield before Liverpool’s Champions League semi-final against the Italian club in April 2018.
In a programme on his recovery on RTÉ’s Prime Time last night, the family also called for the government to provide greater support to home carers.
Sean has recently started a new exoskeleton therapy in Dublin City University (DCU). The innovative treatment allows him to walk upright with the aid of a robotic skeleton.
“[It was] very emotional, really, really emotional to see him,” Martina told RTÉ’s Miriam O’Callaghan.
“He actually started in a sitting position and then he just stood up and then [just kinda] walked towards me. And even the look on his own face – it’s so good. We don’t know what is going to come out of this but psychologically it’s really good for him.”
During the interview at their Meath home, Martina and Sean reflected on his rehabilitation five years on since the attack near Anfield.
Martina said she doesn’t dwell on the anniversary with the family simply wanting to move on.
“Life is too short as well. We are just trying to move on, get the most out of life. Sean, he is a relatively young man still,” she said.
“We want to have really good memories. We are starting to go out a little bit more, we’ve gone on holidays. We just want to do more of those things.”
She added: “In sickness and in health, those words, they are so powerful. There was never a second thought I was going to do anything else but look after him.”
Sean has a number of carers who come to the house during the week to support him and Martina, and she feels the government need to be doing more to help with this vital service that carers provide for families like theirs.
“Home care is particularly tricky at the minute, it hasn’t been consistent. Sean’s needs are high, recently a lot of the hours are not met, and this is down to the fact that there are not enough carers,” Martina said.
“The demand is really, really high for both disability and the elderly in the home but the supply of carers is just not there because I think what they are being paid is too low. I think the government need to definitely look at investing more money into this area.”
The full interview can be found here on the RTÉ Player.
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