Craig’s Fight - Guillain Barre Synd
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*Watch CH7 News Sunday 19th August 6:00pm*
https://www.facebook.com/7NewsPerth/videos/275429259953237/
Father of three Craig Hardy, 52, remains in ICU after contracting the rare debilitating Guillain-Barre Syndrome and unfortunately, the most severe variant of this disease. The doctors initially thought it was Bali belly, but they were sadly mistaken after results confirmed the worst.
Amazingly Craig managed to drive himself to emergency whilst his body was rapidly shutting down. By the time he reached hospital, the entire right hand side of his body was paralysed, by 9pm that same night he was in a coma and completely paralysed.
This bacterial/viral infection tricks the body into attacking its own nerve system, which has totally paralysed Craig’s entire body.
Craig has been in Royal Perth Hospital ICU for 10 weeks so far, but is now out of his coma and is only just starting to show slight signs of recovery.
Craig is unable to eat/drink, breathe or talk for himself and has zero movement in any part of his body except his face and neck. He is fully cognisant, trapped inside a paralysed body, as if buried alive.
After numerous tests/scans/procedures and a tracheostomy, we can now however somewhat communicate with Craig via a letter board from his eye movements. Sadly, his first question was ‘when can I go home’.
Through the letter board Craig was able to tell us that he was in severe pain/discomfort and the locations. Every day one of the family members and/or the 24hr nurse by his bedside locate Craig’s pain location and needs via the letter board, which for us is one giant step forward.
Sadly another horrific symptom is that due to his lungs collapsing, suddenly he will feel like he is drowning, in silence. Besides Craig having a chest tube inserted between his rib cage to try and drain the fluid from his lungs, he also has to endure regular breathing exercises of holding his breath for a period of time in an effort to kickstart his lungs into breathing on their own again.
Craig is now facing the reality of a long and painful recovery. The Doctors are hopeful he will recover, but it will take up to two years.
Craig (aka Rock) is a hard working class man who has never missed a day’s work. He grew up in the Wheatbelt and is a loving and dedicated family man with three children. Craig is the type of person who will give you the shirt of his back and go above and beyond to help and support anyone, anytime. He works at the Water Corporation after previously working for himself in the civil and construction industry, but now has no capacity to care for his family during the recovery period. The realisation of the financial implications and stress are just beginning to set in and although Craig would never ask for any help, we are trying to help take this one burden off Craig’s shoulders so he can focus on getting better.
Funding will go towards rent and living expenses, ongoing physiotherapy, care assistance and medical assistance. Ongoing therapy and rehabilitation will be required to regain body strength, improve mobility and improve his quality of life. When Craig eventually returns home, he will incur ongoing travel costs to take him to and from medical appointments as he will not be able to drive, modifications to the home and in-house care.
Any donation, to help Craig and his Family, no matter how small, would be greatly appreciated.
Please help spread the word!
Thank you very much in advance.
Kind regards,
The Hardy Family
https://www.facebook.com/7NewsPerth/videos/275429259953237/
Father of three Craig Hardy, 52, remains in ICU after contracting the rare debilitating Guillain-Barre Syndrome and unfortunately, the most severe variant of this disease. The doctors initially thought it was Bali belly, but they were sadly mistaken after results confirmed the worst.
Amazingly Craig managed to drive himself to emergency whilst his body was rapidly shutting down. By the time he reached hospital, the entire right hand side of his body was paralysed, by 9pm that same night he was in a coma and completely paralysed.
This bacterial/viral infection tricks the body into attacking its own nerve system, which has totally paralysed Craig’s entire body.
Craig has been in Royal Perth Hospital ICU for 10 weeks so far, but is now out of his coma and is only just starting to show slight signs of recovery.
Craig is unable to eat/drink, breathe or talk for himself and has zero movement in any part of his body except his face and neck. He is fully cognisant, trapped inside a paralysed body, as if buried alive.
After numerous tests/scans/procedures and a tracheostomy, we can now however somewhat communicate with Craig via a letter board from his eye movements. Sadly, his first question was ‘when can I go home’.
Through the letter board Craig was able to tell us that he was in severe pain/discomfort and the locations. Every day one of the family members and/or the 24hr nurse by his bedside locate Craig’s pain location and needs via the letter board, which for us is one giant step forward.
Sadly another horrific symptom is that due to his lungs collapsing, suddenly he will feel like he is drowning, in silence. Besides Craig having a chest tube inserted between his rib cage to try and drain the fluid from his lungs, he also has to endure regular breathing exercises of holding his breath for a period of time in an effort to kickstart his lungs into breathing on their own again.
Craig is now facing the reality of a long and painful recovery. The Doctors are hopeful he will recover, but it will take up to two years.
Craig (aka Rock) is a hard working class man who has never missed a day’s work. He grew up in the Wheatbelt and is a loving and dedicated family man with three children. Craig is the type of person who will give you the shirt of his back and go above and beyond to help and support anyone, anytime. He works at the Water Corporation after previously working for himself in the civil and construction industry, but now has no capacity to care for his family during the recovery period. The realisation of the financial implications and stress are just beginning to set in and although Craig would never ask for any help, we are trying to help take this one burden off Craig’s shoulders so he can focus on getting better.
Funding will go towards rent and living expenses, ongoing physiotherapy, care assistance and medical assistance. Ongoing therapy and rehabilitation will be required to regain body strength, improve mobility and improve his quality of life. When Craig eventually returns home, he will incur ongoing travel costs to take him to and from medical appointments as he will not be able to drive, modifications to the home and in-house care.
Any donation, to help Craig and his Family, no matter how small, would be greatly appreciated.
Please help spread the word!
Thank you very much in advance.
Kind regards,
The Hardy Family
Organizer
Deborah Hardy
Organizer
Perth, WA