Badly injured local man flown home from Guatemala

A young Dunshaughlin man who suffered severe head injuries in a fall while travelling in Guatemala is now back in Ireland after being airlifted home last weekend.
Eoin Sheehy (26) was two months into a trip of a lifetime touring Central and South America when he fell more than 25 feet in an horrific accident on 18th March.
He underwent two emergency brain surgeries in Guatemala City to save his life. Two weeks later, his condition had stabilised sufficiently for doctors to allow him travel home to Ireland and, on Saturday, Eoin arrived back in Ireland by air ambulance and is now being treated in Dublin’s Beaumont Hospital.
Eoin is a son of Barbara and John Sheehy, Lagore Road, Dunshaughlin, and has two older brothers, Brian and Paul. His brothers immediately made arrangements to be with him in the wake of the accident. Brian explained that Eoin was still in intensive care and unconscious when they arrived in the city.
They both pushed hard to get Eoin back home as quickly as possible and, once the doctors gave the go-ahead to travel, arrangements were quickly made to fly him home.
Two of Eoin’s friends who were travelling with him set up a 'Youcaring’ fundraising page and more than €44,000 has been raised to date and the page has been shared almost 2,000 times.

Several other fundraisers and collections are also being organised locally.While Eoin had travel insurance to cover his medical treatment in Guatemala and the air ambulance home, this money will be used towards Eoin’s rehabilitation.

Brian has spoken of the family’s relief to have Eoin back in Ireland and said they have been overwhelmed by the response to the appeal. “We are immensely grateful and so overwhelmed,” he said. They are also very grateful to their neighbours, friends and family who have supported them.
Eoin is a past pupil of Dunshaughlin NS and Dunshaughlin Community College and studied business and finance at Trinity College, Dublin. After graduating, he was head-hunted by a company in Newry and, for the past three-and-a-half years, he has been based in London.
Brian explained that Eoin took an eight-month career break to go travelling with college friends in Central and South America and was two months into his travels when the accident happened. It was the day before Eoin’s 26th birthday when he tripped and fell a distance of more than 25 feet from an open ledge.
“He is still in a semi-conscious state. He is coming around slowly but it is going to take time. Three or four days after his second surgery, he started to squeeze our hands and tried to open his eyes,” said Brian,
“Beaumont were very impressed by the surgery done in Guatemala and said they did everything they would have done, which was good to hear,” he added. At this stage, the family has no idea how long Eoin will be in hospital and won’t know more until he regains full consciousness. However, Brian said the scans already show positive signs.
“Two weeks ago, all we knew is that he was breathing. We still don’t know what state he will be in when he wakes and there will be a lot of rehab ahead, but he is making good progress,” added Brian.

Anyone who wishes to make a donation can do so on the 'Eoin Sheehy HEADge Fund' here