"It’s a miracle he’s still alive"
The family of
Tom Niland have revealed that he has regained consciousness.
The pensioner, who was attacked in his home in Skreen, Co Sligo on January 18th, was left in a coma after a burglary, but doctors feared he'd never recover.
Thankfully,
his family says he has finally regained consciousness.
A family member told
The Mirror, "There has been a small bit of progress in that he’s conscious.
“He is responding to people, to the nurses, and so on. He opened only one of his eyes as the other is damaged and he will probably never see out of it again.
“It is a miracle recovery and it’s a miracle he’s still alive."
His family almost had to turn his life support off just a few weeks ago, but he is now slowly recovering.
“Now we’re at the stage where he’s quite conscious and aware of his surroundings," they said. "The fact Tom has got this far is brilliant.”
The burgalry made headlines earlier this year, as it was reported that
three masked men broke into Tom's home and attacked him in January.
Francis Harmon (54), John Clarke (33), and John Irving (28) were all charged in connection with the burglary and assault.
After the horrifying attack, Tom managed to crawl from his home and got the attention of passing motorists.
He is currently being treated in hospital in Galway.
