Take our survey • Win a prize
Advertisement

We need your help now

Support from readers like you keeps The Journal open.

You are visiting us because we have something you value. Independent, unbiased news that tells the truth. Advertising revenue goes some way to support our mission, but this year it has not been enough.

If you've seen value in our reporting, please contribute what you can, so we can continue to produce accurate and meaningful journalism. For everyone who needs it.

Martina Cox RTÉ

'He smiles; we know he recognises us': Wife of Sean Cox reveals how family life has changed since injury

The 53-year-old received life-changing injuries after being assaulted before a Champions League ,match earlier this year.

THE WIFE OF Liverpool fan Sean Cox has revealed that her husband is continuing to make progress as he recovers from a brain injury he received earlier this year.

The 53-year-old suffered life-changing injuries after he was assaulted before a Champions League semi-final match outside Anfield on 24 April.

Appearing on RTÉ’s Late Late Show last night, Martina Cox paid tribute to her husband as a “great dad” who was “loving life” before he was attacked.

She also recalled the moment she received a phone call to tell her that Sean had been attacked outside the stadium.

Martina said: “I didn’t kind of quite get the sense of what was going on. I didn’t think it was quite as serious.

“And then I got another phone call from a nurse in the Aintree Hospital to say that Sean had been taken by ambulance into A&E and that they had scanned him, and [found] he had a bleed on the brain and a lot of bruising.”

Sean Cox Sean Cox

Martina said that after she realised the extent of Sean’s injuries, she was “in a frenzy” and didn’t know what to do as she waited until the next day to get a flight to Liverpool.

She also revealed that doctors told her that the life-saving surgery Sean received was so serious that they wouldn’t have been able to perform it if he was 70 years-old.

But six months on, Martina spoke highly of the treatment her husband has been given so far.

“He is making progress, it’s small steps of progress,” she said.

“He has a limited amount of words, a very small amount of words. He can’t sit up, he can’t walk.

“So it’s pretty horrendous really still, but he is making progress and it’s small steps so we take every step as a positive because that’s what you do when you’re in this situation.”

Martina said that Sean is now able to communicate with his family as he receives treatment at the National Rehabilitation Centre in Dublin.

“We communicate with him,” she said. “He can say yes and no and do the thumbs up. He smiles and we know he recognises us.”

Meanwhile, an online fundraiser for the Dunboyne man’s post-rehabilitative care has raised more than €125,000 so far.

Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone...
A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article. Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation.

Close
12 Comments
This is YOUR comments community. Stay civil, stay constructive, stay on topic. Please familiarise yourself with our comments policy here before taking part.
Leave a Comment
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute dublinlad72
    Favourite dublinlad72
    Report
    Oct 29th 2012, 2:38 PM

    Sandy sounds increasingly like my wife when she’s on the warpath!

    113
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Stephen murphy
    Favourite Stephen murphy
    Report
    Oct 29th 2012, 2:41 PM

    It must get very windy in your house, does she blow hot or cold air?

    48
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute SeanR
    Favourite SeanR
    Report
    Oct 29th 2012, 2:41 PM

    Dept of Foreign Affairs is kind of late to the party with that advice. The east coast airports are closed. People couldn’t travel even of they wanted to.

    99
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Declan Noonan
    Favourite Declan Noonan
    Report
    Oct 29th 2012, 2:48 PM

    The first paragraph does not make sense because you won’t be able to travel to the US. All flights are cancelled to the north east.

    37
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute vv7k7Z3c
    Favourite vv7k7Z3c
    Report
    Oct 29th 2012, 3:06 PM

    To be fair, the advice is also intended for people who aren’t necessarily travelling directly from Ireland.

    37
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Declan Noonan
    Favourite Declan Noonan
    Report
    Oct 29th 2012, 4:40 PM

    Gavan, true but you can’t travel without the plane.

    10
    See 1 more reply ▾
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute vv7k7Z3c
    Favourite vv7k7Z3c
    Report
    Oct 29th 2012, 7:53 PM

    No, but like I said, if you’re not currently in Ireland and happened to be, say, elsewhere in the USA, perhaps you were intending to drive to the north-east?

    12
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Damocles
    Favourite Damocles
    Report
    Oct 29th 2012, 3:40 PM

    People need to be told this? Anyone likely to look to see probably already has a fair idea of what’s going on there,

    10
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Biggins31
    Favourite Biggins31
    Report
    Oct 29th 2012, 6:10 PM

    You’d be surprised (maybe not) at the stupidity of some people still.
    Some still have to be told these things sadly.

    Like the America packets of peanuts that has on the packets “Warning: Contains nuts” Loads of similar examples available).
    Silly to state these things but sadly have to still be done because people can be stupid.

    12
Submit a report
Please help us understand how this comment violates our community guidelines.
Thank you for the feedback
Your feedback has been sent to our team for review.

Leave a commentcancel

 
JournalTv
News in 60 seconds