Irish student, 22, in serious condition after ‘terrible’ car crash on holiday in America that ‘turned into a nightmare’

An Irish student’s holiday trip to the US “turned into a nightmare” after he was involved in a car accident last month.

Shane Campbell, just 22 years old, left his hometown of Kells in County Meath to spend the summer working in Chicago.

1

However, the young man was seriously injured when the taxi he was travelling in had a “terrible” accident.

Shane was initially placed in a medically induced coma and intubated.

He has suffered several broken bones and a “serious abdominal injury” that has required ten surgeries so far and may require more in the future.

The young boy has been at John H. Stroger Hospital in Cook County since June 5 and his condition has “fortunately improved.”

Friend Emmet Drumbaragh said Shane was “conscious and mentally alert but has a long road to recovery ahead of him”.

He added: “He needs several more weeks of medical care at John H. Stroger Hospital in Cook County, followed by months of rehabilitation.”

Shane is supported by his twin brother Niall, who also spent the summer in Chicago, and his mother Jean, who flew in from Ireland to be with him and “will remain there for the next few months.”

Shane’s sister Grace and his father David, who have remained in Kells for now, are still in the country.

Drumbaragh GFC, who Shane played with at Kellys, and his friends and family have come together and set up a GoFundMe campaign to raise funds for the young man’s recovery.

Confirming that the fundraiser is getting closer to its target, organiser Emmet said: “We are in the middle of our 24 hour #Support4Shane fundraiser and with a phenomenal 900 donations we have passed the €40,000 mark and are approaching our initial target of €50,000.”

He added: “We have been overwhelmed by the support from all over the world. But we don’t plan on stopping here!

“We need to raise as much as we can for Shane and his family – there is no exact figure on how much Shane’s rehabilitation will cost – so we need to keep going.”

Shane had travel insurance that would cover his “basic medical needs” while in America, but friends and family confirmed it would not cover everything he would need.

They said: “Shane had travel insurance and this will cover his basic medical needs.

“However, we all know how expensive healthcare is in the U.S., so his insurance doesn’t cover everything and won’t cover ANY of his rehabilitation treatment.”

GoFundMe added: “Shane is a much-loved son, brother, teammate and teammate in our community. His family is known far and wide from Manhattan to Meath.

“But now they need YOUR help. Shane has shown great courage in his progress so far and is determined to make a full recovery and return home. Please help support him and his family during this difficult time.

“All funds received will help alleviate financial costs already incurred and fund Shane’s future rehabilitation and care to restore him to full health.”

You can help by making a donation or sharing the GoFundMe ‘Support4Shane’.