Supporting our friend Phil Donaldson

**** LATEST UPDATE ****

Hi everyone,

I would like to give an update on Phil.

Firstly, can I just say from the bottom of our hearts, the support you have given us has been overwhelming. Every time I see a new donation and a message of support on GoFundMe, I burst out in tears. There’s no other way to say this, you guys are amazing, and we will be forever thankful for your support. We will never forget this guys. Thank you!!!

Together with Phil's family, we feel an obligation to give all of you that have donated, an update on Phil's condition and the progress of his recovery.

I have included a video from Phil in this update. As you can all see, he may have had a lot taken away from him in this accident, but he certainly didn’t lose his cheeky smile and unmistakable charisma.

Phil is now off the ventilator and has all breathing tubes removed. He’s also out of ICU and in the spinal ward. These are all small steps, but mean the world to him…

The injury to his spine was devasting enough, but we also received another brutal blow 3 weeks ago when Phil had to make the difficult decision to have his left leg amputated - just above the knee.

As if Phil hasn’t been through enough already, to have to lose his leg was another heartbreaking outcome in this whole process, but importantly, the amputation has allowed Phil to begin rehab immediately.

There’s no doubt this has been the most testing time of our lives, but I want to let you all know, your support has made the world of difference. Without your support, I don’t know how we would have even gotten to this point. The support you guys have given us has been the difference. And I’m just so grateful to all of you. Thank you so much…

One of the little miracles that has occurred over the last 30 days, is it appears Phil still has some feeling in his arms. He’s working overtime with the rehab team, but it appears the spinal cord still has some connections and (thank God) it’s what they call in the medical profession an “incomplete spinal cord injury”.

This unfortunately doesn’t mean Phil is not paralysed, but over time he has hope that he can perhaps gain limited movement in his arms. Whilst it’s still devastating having to communicate this, we will take any win, any positive development, anything... I’m so proud of how hard he’s working with the team in Auckland to give himself maximum use of his arms.

Many people in the same situation as Phil would have simply given up… NOT my Phil.

He’s fighting so hard everyday guys. I can assure you. He’s an absolute inspiration.

We hope to make it back to Australia in the coming weeks. It’s tricky to put an exact date on his return, but we are hoping to be back in a month or two, where Phil will commence further rehab in Sydney. This will be another milestone as I know Phil misses his friends and hopefully looks forward to seeing all those who have supported us during this terrible time.

Yes, this past month has been hell, but seeing Phil fight so hard and having the support of fiends like you guys can sometimes make you feel lucky - even in the unluckiest of circumstances.

I’m not sure I have the words to truly express how much your support, your donations and your well wishes, truly mean to us. We can’t thank you enough and on behalf of Phil and his family, I want to thank you all again for everything you have done for us. We love you all!

*******************************************************************************

Hello everyone,

As many of you know, on Wed 12th April our lives were turned upside down.

My fiancé, and the love of my life, Phil, was involved in a tragic car accident in New Zealand whilst visiting friends and family back home.

The car he was in left the road, flipped and he was trapped inside. With the help of friends and first responders, Phil survived the crash and was airlifted to Middlemore Hospital in Auckland where he has been receiving some of the best care in the Spinal Unit.

I received a call from the hospital shortly thereafter and was advised to fly to New Zealand as soon as possible as he may not survive the emergency surgeries. After speaking to Phil’s parents who were rushing to be with him, I jumped on the next available flight. Nothing prepared me for what was to come.

There’s no easy way to say this, Phil is paralysed. He has suffered significant damage to his spinal cord, specifically at the C4 vertebrae and has a badly damaged leg.

Whilst, we will never give up hope, the devastating prognosis at this stage is that Phil will be paralysed from the neck down.

Fortunately, Phil is strong in the body and the mind and has a great support network. Myself and Phil’s parents have been at his bedside every day since the accident. His brothers and sister also rallied around to be with him as soon as they could.

We stroke his head and tell him how much we love him. Phil still has a breathing tube, so is unable to talk but communicates the best he can. He’s been in and out of sedation but has been informed of what happened to him. Due to the sedation, he’s had to be told by the doctors several times what has happened and that he is paralysed. It’s heartbreaking watching him being told the news again and again, not remembering the previous time he was told. It’s like a never-ending nightmare.

He's starting to become more awake now and yesterday he kept mouthing something to me and I finally figured out the words. He was saying “I’m paralysed” and he nodded yes in that I got it right, and so I said to him, “Yes my love, I know, but we all love you” and told him he is being well looked after and everyone is thinking of him.

The road back from here will be a long one. That is about the only thing that is certain right now. We are very proud people, particularly Phil, but we now humbly ask for your support.

The costs for Phil’s rehabilitation and ongoing care are simply beyond the family’s financial means. Some items will be covered by insurance, but many will not.

Phil will need a specialist wheelchair, designed for those with paralysis from the neck down. The wheelchair alone is $40,000. Then there’s his specialist bed, which is another $40,000 (and that’s just the start).

If you have anything spare to give to Phil at this difficult time, we would warmly accept any act of generosity. We are so appreciative of all the messages of support. People are contacting me that I have never met before or had any idea Phil was friends with. I always knew he was a loved man, but never realised just how many friends he has!

Anything you can spare to help our Phil would be so welcome.

From the bottom of our hearts, we THANK YOU!

Regards,

Kathleen