Neil Needs You

My brother Neil had a life changing motorbike accident on July 17 which left him with spinal injuries, paralysis and the need for facial reconstruction surgery. Sadly he is now a quadriplegic. Neil is not someone who normally asks for help, but his family and friends are asking for your help now. Neil needs you. He needs positive vibes, positive energy, encouraging words, and some big financial support.

After a day of surfing with his good mate Dave, Neil had a motorbike accident. When Neil didn’t return home, Dave went back looking for him. Four hours later he was found in a ditch with the motorbike on top of him. He was taken to hospital where x-rays and CT scans showed fractures in his vertebrae that required a spinal cord specialist.

It was clear he required specialised medical treatment so he was transported to the international hospital in Bali (BIMC) - a gruelling 6 hour ambulance ride.

He had multiple surgeries and he now has stabiliser plates supporting his fractured neck. Neil spent a month in the Intensive Care Unit at BIMC before we were able to Medi-vac him back to Australia - an extremely difficult task during a global pandemic, closed international borders, language barriers, & no government assistance. The hospital bill in Bali came to a staggering AU$83,000. The Medi-vac flight was an additional AU$106,000.

Anyone who knows Neil, knows of his love for surfing. Originally a Byron Bay boy, his love for the water and for surfing became part of his DNA while living in Bondi as a teenager and being part of the surfing community. It is here that he found his surfing brothers – a family that continues to grow.

Surfing has given Neil an escape from the challenges of his mental health. It has given him light when for a time there was only darkness, and it’s for this reason that he’d made Indonesia and its waves his home. It was heartbreaking to not be able to travel to be by Neil’s side during such a traumatic time. We are very grateful to Matt Elks who took time out from his family to be by Neil’s side at the hospital, and to give us continual updates. When this first happened I thanked Matt for being away from his family so that he could be with mine. Matt just said ‘Lou, I know he would do the same thing for me’.

We have been desperately trying to raise funds.

It’s such a heart breaking & challenging time. Neil remains in hospital at Royal North Shore and will be transferred to Ryde Royal Rehabilitation Hospital in the next few days where he will spend the next few months. Going forward this will be a tough journey for him. We’re asking for your help.  

Give as little or as much as you can. It’s all going to help, and it all matters. Keep sending your positive energy to him, and your positive comments on Facebook. Share this far and wide. We can’t do this alone. We’re asking for help. We need you. Neil needs you.