HELP BRING CHARLIE HOME

Sad Greetings from Rhodes, Greece.

My Brother Charlie has been brutally attacked and has been in the ICU ward of Rhodes General Hospital for the past couple of months.

We are an Australian family of Greek heritage, born and raised in Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia. We are sisters: Michelle 45, Jacqui & Maria 40, our Mum Denise 67, and beloved brother Charlie, 43.

While we have been residing and working in our hometown of Darwin, Charlie has been in Rhodes, completing his army requirements and assisting in the resolution of our late Father’s estate.

On the night of the 30th of May 2022, two intruders broke into the residence in which Charlie was staying in Rhodes and attempted to murder him. He sustained horrific injuries.

Charlie was badly beaten to the head with a steel bar and stabbed multiple times in the throat and chest.

The two men who attacked Charlie have been arrested, refused bail, and will be charged with attempted murder.

He was initially non-responsive on his arrival at the hospital. Emergency surgery for his head injuries was performed, and he was placed into a medically induced coma for 35 days. His injuries include major head trauma, skull fractures, an explosive fracture to the jaw, a critically damaged windpipe, a broken collarbone and punctured lungs. The doctors later performed a tracheostomy through a stab wound to his throat. It is yet to be determined the extent of the damage to his windpipe, vocal cords and brain.

Together with my mum and my sisters, we immediately flew to Rhodes to be with Charlie, and have been here since the 2nd of June, leaving behind our young children, our partners and our business.

We are immensely grateful for the care and support that has been provided to us by Rhodes General Hospital, in both the surgery performed on Charlie on the night of his arrival as they saved his life, and the subsequent care and procedures that have followed.

We now however find ourselves in a state of deep distress and limbo as a result of a complex and seemingly impenetrable medical system. Rhodes Hospital has approached 4 different Hospitals in Greece to admit Charlie to receive the lifesaving operations he needs to be able to begin the slow process of recovery. He has been denied admission each time, for reasons beyond our comprehension and understanding.

For over two months we have watched our brother and my mum's son fight to survive, and his will and strength have astounded even the doctors treating him. Charlie's multiple injuries make this a very unique case for doctors, but his resilience and strength to survive are incredible.

It's been a very long process with a long road still ahead.

Charlie is now breathing on his own, with oxygen support. He is awake, aware, scared, and responsive. Due to the tracheostomy and tubes in his trachea, he is unable to talk. He communicates by eye movement and the squeezing of our hands. However, he tires easily and quickly becomes deeply distressed, resulting in the need to sedate him.

Sadly, Rhodes General Hospital is unable to provide any further treatment to Charlie, and regardless of his condition, now that he can breathe on his own, he will be moved from ICU into an unstaffed general ward.

For obvious reasons, this terrifies us. We have contacted both local and federal members of parliament. We have emailed and called each hospital and surgeon whom we thought may take Charlie. We have an ongoing dialogue with the Australian embassy. None of this so far has assisted us in reaching the next stage required for Charlie's recovery.

We want more than anything to bring Charlie home to Australia where we have a healthcare system that can help him. We are in contact with the hospitals in Australia that can perform the many surgeries Charlie requires.

This is the only avenue left open to us to save our brother my mum's son. What we are now faced with, is the prospect of trying to raise the money required to bring him home. We have obtained multiple quotes to medivac Charlie from Rhodes to Australia, between $300,000 - $400,000. This amount is staggering.

We are in the process of collating all our funds, but humbly and with deep embarrassment, we need help to reach this massive target. We cannot and will not, lose sight of saving our beloved Charlie.

We believe that by bringing him home to Australia he will be looked after, and we can begin the long process of surgeries and rehabilitation that he so urgently needs to heal.

We understand how very tough things are for everyone right now, and it is only in this deeply humbled and desperate state we find ourselves, that we ask you with the utmost respect, to give even the smallest amount if you are able.

Please, help us bring our Charlie home.