In early September we were told that my brother, Michael Mooney, could only be brought home by a medical helicopter. We soon began fundraising with a target of 20,000 to cover this expensive transfer. In the past week 15,000 pounds has been raised thanks to the generosity of friends, family and unknown good Samaritans. I see this as a tribute to both Michael and those with whom we keep company. Given Michael’s incapacity to speak at present, it is incumbent upon me to thank our gracious friends and family who have humbled us with your donations. I pray one day soon Michael will be able to thank you himself.

On the 17th of August 2019, at 11:30AM, Michael Mooney, our dear friend, brother, son and soon-to-be uncle, fell off a 12ft balcony in a villa in the South of France. You may have heard a version of this story on the news or in your local paper, but he was left fighting for his life from traumatic brain injury moments later in an intensive care unit in Nice.

Mike was found straight away by his brother unconscious on the floor and was put into a medically induced coma.

With severe brain damage, a fractured skull and 2 Lumbar spine injuries, the doctors warned us to be prepared for the worst and that even if he did wake up, he would likely be paralysed from the neck down.

Since then, Mike is out of his coma and awake, but his state has been described by the doctors as “a miracle”.

Mike has undergone two surgical interventions; one on the brain; and one on his spine in the hope of mobility in the future.

He is showing signs of responsiveness and heart-warming hand squeezes. We keep him updated with the premier league and put on Football weekly for him. He has a radio in his room and our friends read to him when visiting. The hardest part is leaving him and having to say goodbye without knowing when we will next fly back to be with him. The trips are adding up, and this could be money our family could use towards his later rehabilitation.

Every day is full of uncertainty and the doctors cannot give us the reassurance of what the future holds. Mike is still in France and despite receiving unrivalled care at Hospital Pasteur 2 in Nice it is an expensive journey and more importantly, hard for family and friends to show the support and love needed for Michael's further care and eventual rehabilitation…and this is why we have started this page.

The doctors have approved his repatriation back to the UK. We are thrilled that his care can continue on home soil where we can support the NHS with his intensive care in London. We need him home, so he knows that we are with him every step of the way.

With no travel insurance, the cost of repatriation by air is £14,400 and includes the following: Sea level pressurised transfer, full ICU team, ground ambulances, UK admission, medical case management. The French have approved his imminent move to the UK and his state is not stable enough at this stage to be done by land which is a 17 hour journey his body can't take.

It is so hard to see my brother so vulnerable and unable to voice his fears and emotions. We can only tell him that we are with him whatever it takes, and we will try with all our blood, sweat and tears to get him to a happy place and somewhat normality, even if that looks different for him.

Get To Know Michael Mooney

If you didn't get to be one of the many many people that Mike knew, here is a little about him. Born from a Jamaican-Canadian mum and a British dad, Mike is a 32, 6ft4 and a popular, outgoing and smart guy. If you’re out with him it’s a guaranteed fun time - he is up for anything, perhaps too much at times and can make friends with anyone, from any path of life which is probably one of his most charming and endearing qualities.

Mike is the least judgemental man you will ever come across. He’ll give you the skin off his back before he see’s someone struggle, but this has come with its own battles.....mental illness. Michael has struggled with bipolar disorder since his late teens making this accident all the more painful and complex. As many of you know and those of you who live with bipolar disorder can attest to, the reality is that many memories are not peaceful nor happy. We have continued regardless but it is an uphill battle.

Mikey’s mental health this last year has been turbulent. He’s struggled independently in Prague and in Manchester looking for a place he calls home. Needless to say, having him in the UK makes me sleep better at night. This is a wake-up call to me about his lifestyle and more importantly, mental health issues as a whole, despite the accidental nature of the fall.

We don’t know what Mikey’s normal is going to look like at this stage. But we do know that he has a second chance. But it has to be done right and it will take a hell of a lot more work, patience and effort from me. I personally hold myself accountable for not screaming more loudly when he obviously couldn’t.

We wish we could pay for our brother’s repatriation ourselves, but it’s not realistic in such a short period of time. But we do really want him back home in London, where he’s surrounded by a great network...all of us want to be able to pop by the hospital hold his hand, play him awful music and tell him it’s going to be okay.

Every donation is a gift we will cherish and will go directly to Michael’s repatriation. We have longer term goals to meet his rehabilitation care, but this is one way you can really help our family get Michael home and help us with an imminent financial obligation we need to meet.

We will keep you updated on his physical and mental progress and hopefully his safe arrival in London.

#Bringmikeyhome

*Any donations that exceed Michaels immediate care will be donated to Michael's future care which will be extensive. Anything exceeding this will be donated to Hopital Pasteur’s neurology department where they saved our brother's life. We have also chosen the brain injury association Headway as our charity of choice to help guide us through Michaels eventual rehabilitation and would like to give back and support the community associated with neurological disorders both injuries and illnesses alike. *

https://www.chu-nice.fr/nos-hopitaux/hopital-pasteur

https://www.headway.org.uk