Dad, 37, left paralysed after collapsing on family holiday
A dad is fighting for his life after suffering a very rare brain bleed on the first day of his family’s holiday.
Rob Turner, who runs a family-owned construction company in North Queensland with his wife Gabrielle, and the couple’s three children, aged 5, 3 and nine months, travelled to Karumba last month for their once-a-year trip.
After arriving on September 24, the family were setting off for the day when the 37-year-old suddenly fell extremely ill, family friend Caitlin Francis said in a GoFundMe fundraiser.
They were all in the car together when Mr Turner felt a severe pain in his head and stopped the vehicle.
As soon as he opened the door and stepped out, the builder collapsed and became paralysed.
A terrified Gabrielle called for help and the dad was airlifted to Townsville Hospital and placed in intensive care, Ms Francis said.
Doctors soon discovered an Arteriovenous Malformation (AVM) located deep in Mr Turner’s brain.
AVM is an abnormal tangle of blood vessels connecting arteries and veins, which disrupts normal blood flow and oxygen circulation, according to the Mayo Clinic.
Brain surgery is now considered too high of a risk considering its location, Gabrielle told Yahoo News Australia in a statement on Friday.
Doctors are working to prevent another brain bleed so he can undergo surgery in Brisbane in a few months, she said.
In the meantime, he will be monitored in hospital and begin speech and occupational therapy.
Since his condition is still unfolding, it’s estimated he will have to undergo up to 18 months of rehab and recovery.
“The last few days have changed the future of our family,” Gabrielle said.
“One thing that is certain is that we will never take another day for granted. It is overwhelming to think Rob has been a ticking time bomb since he was born and we didn’t even know.”
The family is now facing financial difficulties because they are unable to operate their business while Mr Turner is unwell and have had to relocate from Atherton in the Tablelands to Townsville.
“Rob is a down-to-earth, generous and hardworking man who adores his wife and children,” Ms Francis wrote in the fundraiser.
“It is vital to his proper recovery that his family are taken care of, so that he does not face further stress and can focus on getting better.”
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