Family reunited with Bruce Hwy crash victim before devastating decision
A mother is facing a devastating decision about her son’s future after he was involved in an horrific Bruce Hwy crash.
Bowen
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Family members of a Bowen man still in a critical condition weeks after his car collided with a caravan trailer on the Bruce Highway, are facing the devastating possibility of turning off his life support.
Paramedics along with a rescue helicopter were called to the horrific accident near McLeans Rd at Kuttabul, near Mackay, on April 2 when 41-year-old Beren Mason’s silver station wagon and a silver Toyota Ute towing a caravan crashed as he pulled onto the highway.
Mr Mason was rushed to Mackay Base Hospital before being flown to Townsville with serious head, brain, neck and spinal injuries.
A GoFundMe was organised by his uncle, Brett Mason, to raise money for Beren’s mother Pam and his two sisters to fly to Townsville from Perth and New Zealand to be with him for what they say on the fundraising page, could be the last time.
The funds raised are for airfares, accommodation, a hire-car and incidentals for Ms Mason to support her son through the journey.
“These costs are beyond the reach of an invalid lady living in state housing in New Zealand,” Mr Mason said.
Mr Mason said his nephew was not in a good state and that a doctor’s prognosis showed his nephew had suffered brain damage in three areas.
“Pam has already been advised that when or if Beren wakes up he will not be the same man as before,” he wrote.
“Pam is devastated (and) is now in Townsville by his side, supporting him and trying to come to terms of the outcomes if Beren is left to go on without life support.
“There will be no happy endings to this story.”
An MRI scan on April 15 showed Mr Mason suffered from axonal injuries resulting in torn nerve fibres to his brain, he stated.
On the GoFundMe page, Mr Mason said his nephew had shown some signs of consciousness including giving a thumbs up with his left hand, opening one of his eyes and moving some fingers and toes.
However, these were said to be inconsistent responses to what medical staff required.
Mr Mason said Beren’s mother had said doctors had painted a bleak “picture about Beren’s outcomes with very little hope for a full or even partial recovery”.
He said Pam had told him doctors stated there was “a 70 per cent recovery (doctor not even hopeful of this) not being able to drive, work, use a phone is not the life he would choose”.
Mr Mason said Beren’s mother further said he “is more likely to have even less than this because of the severity of his injury... there is also a risk of regression”.
“Pam is struggling to comes to terms with decisions she will need to make thinking of the quality of life that Beren would want to live with,” Mr Mason said.
As of April 28, $2,102 the GoFundMe had raised for Ms Mason and her two daughters to be by his side in Townsville.
A spokesman for the Townsville Hospital said Mr Mason remains in a critical condition.
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