There has been an outpouring of support for a dad-of-two who was injured in a devastating accident in which he was crushed by his own car outside his West Cork home.
Mark Moriyama was injured after a vehicle accident on Saturday January 4 in which he was pinned up against a concrete wall outside him home in Ballydehob. Mark was shutting the boot of his car when the car rolled back and crushed him, breaking his ribs and puncturing his lung.
Mark was airlifted to Cork University Hospital where doctors discovered both his lungs had collapsed and he was put into an induced coma. This week, after days in intensive care, he was well enough to wake up and squeeze his adored wife’s hand.
The Ballydehob community have shown an outpouring of support for Mark and his young family during such a difficult time, including close to €20,000 in donations raised in a matter of days to ease their financial burdens over the next 10 months as self-employed wedding videographer Mark recovers.
Mark’s ‘best friend’ Isaac Finken described his pal as “a fantastic husband” to wife Aoife and father to their two gorgeous children Elayna (3) and Luca (9 months). He said Mark is “possibly the most vivacious, active and fit person I’ve ever had the luck to meet, let alone call friend.”
“Mark was involved in a terrible accident. He was shutting the boot of his car when the auto brakes released and the car rolled back, pushing Mark backwards and crushing him into a concrete wall just outside their house… Mark’s entire right rib cage was smashed, his lung was punctured.
“Owing to the quick actions of his wife Aoife, he was airlifted from Ballydehob Community Hall pitch, to CUH, where both lungs collapsed and he was put into an induced coma. Thankfully and owing to the excellent medical care he received, Mark squeezed Aoife’s hand 3 days ago and then yesterday, he managed to wake up.”
Isaac said that while he and Mark enjoy the thrill of working together in martial arts, in stunt work and in gymnastics, loving dad Mark is “at his most playful when on the floor with his two adorable children.”
“His kind, fun, youthful personality and wicked sense of humour has made a positive impact on everyone he’s met. He’s incredibly fit, both mentally and physically and I know that that is the thing that will help get him through this difficult time.
“The good news is, that Mark will be ok, we all know it could have been much worse, but doctors have advised a long road to recovery for Mark of more than 10 months.
“My partner is currently looking after their young children as Aoife is by his side in hospital, but Mark is a self-employed wedding videographer and I know that the financial pressure the family will be under now that he is incapacitated, will be enormous. I’d like to alleviate some of that stress, if I could. Theirs is a single income household and I want to set up a GoFundMe page to help out with household bills and rehabilitation costs, whilst Mark is working on his recovery.”
See the ‘Support Mark’s family through his recovery’ fundraiser HERE.