The family of a 16-year-old Bantry girl is keeping a vigil at her hospital bedside after she suffered a serious brain injury in a fall.
THE family of a 16-year-old Bantry girl is keeping a vigil at her hospital bedside after she suffered a serious brain injury in a fall.
Chloe Keane was doing what she loved best – working with horses in a stables near her home – when the unwitnessed fall happened two weeks ago.
Her older sister Jordan explained how the alarm was raised when a horse was seen running around on its own, and Chloe was then discovered lying unconscious.
They don’t know what happened but think Chloe, who wasn’t on a horse at the time, may have fallen backwards and hit her head after the animal became spooked.
An ambulance and Dr Jason van der Velde responded, and the Colaiste Pobail Junior Cert student was airlifted to CUH.
Chloe is a triplet and her brothers Steven and David, along with mum Julia, dad Stephen, and sister Jordan have been by her side since.
Jordan has now set up a Go Fund Me page to help with her sister’s medical costs, as she says there’s a long recovery ahead.
‘She is out of the Intensive Care Unit and is now under the care of the specialists in the Brain Injury Unit in CUH. Chloe is expected to remain in CUH for several months and is likely to then move to the National Rehabilitation Hospital in Dun Laoghaire for further rehab,’ said Jordan, a psychology and social studies student at UCC.
She describes Chloe as ‘a vibrant, fun-loving girl’ who always has a smile on her face. ‘She is a huge horse enthusiast and loves nothing more than spending time with her equine friends. We want to get her home and back doing what she loves, as soon as possible,’ said Jordan.
The people of West Cork are rallying around the family and so far over €8,000 has been raised. There isn’t a target in mind, as they don’t know what lies ahead, but anything not needed will be donated to charity.
Jordan explains that Chloe is staying positive but is still feeling confused and has some paralysis on the left side of her body, and problems with her short term memory.
‘The road ahead for Chloe is long and she needs your help to give her the best chance of recovery,’ she wrote on the fundraising page.
Brú Columbanus in Wilton has provided accommodation for Julia.
‘The support we’re getting is definitely helping Chloe – she has a smile on her face every time I update her,’ said Jordan.
For more, see gofundme.com/help-chloe-keane
