Pride of Australia: His mum’s love brought Liam Knight back to life again

THIS is a story about a mother's faith. Mary Knight refused to give up on her youngest son Liam.

Liam Knight who was injured when a metal pole was speared through his head hugs his mum Mary who has been amazing support for him for Pride of Australia nomination. Picture: Adam Taylor

THIS is a story about a mother's faith. Mary Knight refused to give up on her youngest son Liam.

Not when she realised that a pole thrown at him by gatecrashers at a party hadn't just hit his temple, as she first thought, but gone straight through his head. Not when the doctor told Mary and her husband Trevor to prepare themselves and gather the family around. And not when her son faced a potentially fatal infection in his brain from the rust on the pole.

Mary Knight stayed by Liam’s side every minute she was allowed. She massaged his hands, his feet, his face in the hope that she would stimulate his brain, and it would keep those nerves alive.

Liam Knight in hospital with brother Todd

Liam brother Shane Knight in hospital

She prayed that whatever the pole did to her boy, he would keep his smile and the gentle personality she loved so much.

“I never gave up on him,” she said.

“I looked at Liam in hospital and I thought, ‘everything is going to be all right’. I had this thing go through me. I said to Trevor, ‘Everything is going to be okay’. All my boys believed me

“It will be a hard road, it won’t be easy, but one day it will be okay.”

When Liam woke up — a recovery that experts described as nothing short of miraculous — Mary’s face was the first he saw. And, just as she had prayed, he flashed that trademark smile.

“It was so good,” she said. “We didn’t know how much brain damage there was, but there was a smile on his face.”

Mary was beside Liam’s side constantly in the months that followed.

“Mum was there every single day,” Liam said,

“In rehab as well, mum would bring dinner. She made the trek to [from the Northern Beaches to] Ryde every day.”

Liam Knight, who was injured when a metal pole was speared through his head, has been nominated for a Pride of Australia award. Picture: Adam Taylor

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Mary said she did what any other mother would do, and she may well be right. But she was the one in that horrific situation, and her devotion and faith have been recognised with a nomination for The Pride of Australia Care and Compassion medal.

Mary was right; the recovery since the January 2013 attack has been difficult.

Not just physically, for Liam, but emotionally for the whole family. The trauma, anger and sense of helplessness were hard for everyone, especially Liam’s three older brothers, to bear.

While Liam’s recovery has been remarkable, he still struggles with movement on his left side. It was such an unnecessary, pointless thing to happen to a fine young man. Yet Mary refuses to be angry.

“I was angry at the time when I heard what happened,” she said. “I was angry with the boy on the first day I saw him [in court]. But when I saw the boy’s head down and that he was upset, it went.

“My energy is on Liam. Anger is not going to make you better, it’s not necessary. I’m not perfect, I get angry about other things. But I don’t think you can afford to let it eat away at you and hold grudges.”