Family and friends of injured paraglider thank community
Paraglider Alex Yaschenko’s family and friends have thanked the community after more than $100,000 was raised on a GoFundMe to get the Brunswick man home. Now, they have turned their focus to helping him adjust to his new life.
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Family and friends of a Brunswick man paralysed in a horrific paragliding accident in Pakistan have thanked the community for digging deep to donate more than $100,000 to get him home.
Alex Yaschenko, an experienced paraglider, crashed shortly after takeoff in the Hunza Valley on September 28.
Despite taking out travel insurance for the trip, his injuries meant he needed an air ambulance to transport him home at a cost of hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Yaschenko, 49, returned to Melbourne from Islamabad on Thursday night with his partner Maggie Webb.
Friends and family set up a GoFundMe page last week in an effort to cover the cost of the trip.
Within a day it had raised more than $100,000 from 1000 donors, allowing the family to fly Mr Yaschenko home.
Long-time friend Wally Arcidiacono thanked people for their generosity and said his mate’s mental state was ebbing and flowing but was doing well.
“It has been overwhelming in terms of the love that we feel from the wider ocmmunity,” he said.
“Alex is a very lovely fellow and is the first person to help out a friend and has been humbled by the support.”
Mr Arcidiacono said it wasn’t just Mr Yaschenko’s friends and the paragliding community that had come to his aid, but people who empathised with his situation.
“There has also been a lot of people who have felt the gravity of the situation and that it would be quite a dire situation for Alex,” he said.
“The team that we have here in Australia has been flabbergasted at the support.”
With Mr Yaschenko back on home soil, efforts have now turned to helping him and Ms Webb adjust to the many life changes they face.
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“Already there has been a group of close friends who have started to put together rosters on who will do what — the cooking, washing and walking the dog,” Mr Arcidiacono said.
“The help hasn't just been financial, which is very nice.”
Mr Arcidiacono said Mr Yaschenko’s insurance company had been “fantastic” and had gone above and beyond to make sure he was looked after.
“It’s just an unfortunate series of events with unforeseen costs which is the reason they couldn’t cover it all,” he said.
The GoFundMe page is still operating to help Mr Arcidiacono with the ongoing costs of his rehabilitation.