Last week we brought you the harrowing story of Robbie Robinson, an Irishman stranded in hospital abroad. Well, today we’ve learned that Robbie is finally being flown home to Ireland tomorrow.
It’s been a long and emotional four weeks for Robbie Robinson’s friends and family, but thankfully the Co. Wicklow native will be returning home to Ireland soon thanks to the help and generosity of those who raised money for the cause.
The 32-year-old fell from a fourth story balcony in Thailand while travelling back to his home in New Zealand, and suffered severe head injuries that left him in a coma since the incident.
Speaking to RTÉ Radio, Robbie’s mother Martina said, “[We have] great news. We’re coming home tomorrow. We’re taking Robbie home tomorrow.
“We are so thrilled because he is still critical and he hasn’t woken up yet. But he’s stable, he’s been stable since Friday and that’s a real achievement in itself.
“I can’t explain what it’s like, just the thoughts of taking him home.”
Robbie will be transferred to Beaumont Hospital tomorrow evening, but it won’t be cheap according to Robbie’s mother.
“The cost of a private medical ambulance – we just couldn’t have done it. So we had to try and get a commercial flight and this was the seventh one [considered]. They take out six seats and they put the stretcher there in that area.
“And we can’t afford to stay here because it’s like €2,500 per day.
“We can’t actually even afford to get him home, if it wasn’t for the generosity of everybody back home, we wouldn’t be here.”
According to Martina, it’s going to cost over €100,000 to get Robbie back home, but the family will be paying back the medical costs in instalments, €57,000 of which will be paid by tonight. A lot of the money has been raised through various fund raisers across the country as well as people donating their cash online.
It’s a sad situation, but at least Robbie is finally coming home to his friends and family.
