Help Nort Survive and Live with Dignity After a Devastating Spinal Cord and Brain Injury

Nort is 41 years old and lives in Thailand. Before his accident, he worked as a mechanic, repairing motorcycles and cars.

In 2022, Nort’s life changed in an instant.

While swimming with friends and family, he suffered a catastrophic accident in a swimming pool. Nort does not know what happened. He sustained a severe head injury, was bleeding heavily, lost consciousness, and stopped breathing. Family members and friends saw the blood, jumped into the pool to pull him out, and rushed him to the nearest hospital.

Doctors performed CPR and later explained that Nort had been deprived of oxygen for several minutes. He was urgently transferred to Maharaj Hospital in Nakhon Ratchasima, where specialists warned his family that although he might survive, he would likely remain in a coma.

His family prayed for mercy and for a miracle.

A neurosurgeon made the decision to perform emergency surgery. During the operation, doctors discovered that Nort’s third cervical vertebra (C3) had been fractured. The injury had severely damaged his spinal cord, leaving him paralysed from the shoulders down.

Today, Nort is alive, but his daily reality is incredibly difficult.

Because of his injury, he cannot breathe normally on his own and requires a tracheostomy. He depends on regular suctioning to clear secretions from his airway. He is completely bed-bound and relies on family members and friends for every aspect of daily living—eating, bathing, dressing, repositioning, and personal care.

He must be turned 2 hourly throughout the day and night to reduce the risk of further injury. Despite these efforts, Nort currently suffers from multiple pressure sores on his back, legs, and feet that require ongoing medical treatment and supplies.

The financial burden on his family is overwhelming.

Nort receives a disability pension from the Thai government equivalent to approximately AUD $33 per month. This amount does not come close to covering even the most basic costs of his care.

His ongoing needs include:

1. Medical supplies and wound-care products
2. Catheters, gloves, wipes, dressings, and ointments
3. Medications
4. Tracheostomy care supplies
5. Airway suction equipment and maintenance
6. A specialised hospital bed
7. Pressure-relieving air mattress
8. Nutritional support
9. Electricity costs, including air conditioning, as his body can no longer regulate temperature properly
10. Transportation to medical appointments
11. Ongoing treatment for pressure injuries and complications

Nort’s family are Pastors of a very small church but with an huge heart for people and vision for their local community. They are constantly busy delivering excess food from local businesses to vulnerable people within the community and beyond. They have converted the entrance to their little church into a room for Nort. Church services are held right by Nort’s bed. Every day, Nort’s family works tirelessly to keep him comfortable, safe, and cared for. They do so with love, but the financial demands are far beyond what they can sustain alone.

Your donation will help provide the essential equipment, medical supplies, and daily care that Nort needs to survive and live with dignity.

Whether you can give a small amount or a larger gift, every contribution will make a real difference.

If you are unable to donate, please consider sharing Nort’s story with your family, friends, church, workplace, or community.

Thank you for taking the time to read Nort’s story and for helping us support him through this incredibly difficult journey.

Together, we can help ensure that Nort receives the care, comfort, and dignity that every person deserves..

All funds will be sent directly to Nort’s primary caregivers so they can pay for the very many expenses they have every week.