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A man is fighting for his life after suffering severe head injuries as he left a central Auckland nightclub, and his distraught family say doctors have told them he will never be the same again - if he survives.
Trevor Kaukau, 40, was found bleeding and unconscious on the footpath of Karangahape Rd about 5.45am on Saturday.
He had a fracture to the back of his skull, which resulted in his brain being thrown violently forward, damaging his left frontal lobe.
But nobody knows how he was injured, and his sister is appealing for anyone with information to speak up.
Mr Kaukau, who will turn 41 on Thursday, is in an induced coma and in a critical condition in Auckland City Hospital, with his devastated family at his side.
His sister, Rebecca Kaukau, told the Herald last night that he was "the rock" of the family.
"We're expecting that he will come out of this quite badly. The doctor said that the thing we need to understand is that if he lives through this, he will not be the same person."
She said Mr Kaukau was out with two of his cousins on Friday night. They started off at a bar in the Viaduct and then went to K Rd.
The group got separated, but had planned to meet at their car.
Mr Kaukau did not show up. Instead, his mother got a call from the police saying he was in hospital.
Ms Kaukau said it was horrible not knowing what had happened to hereldest brother.
"It was a really big shock for us. We all had mixed reactions. We didn't really understand ... We were hoping for the best."
Doctors have told family that the damage to the lobe, which controls planning, memory and logic, was irreparable.
"They have been explaining all the possible scenarios and outcomes to us. We're hoping for the best, but we're realistic," Ms Kaukau said.
"If he lives through this ... we know he'll never be the same again."
She said her brother was the "life of the party" and she could not imagine anyone wanting to hurt him.
"He is the rock of our family. If anything happens to him, I just know that our family won't be able to function."
Mr Kaukau used to work for Greenpeace, but has been on a sickness benefit for six months.
Three months ago, when his mother became unwell, he gave up his "bachelor pad" and moved into the unit next door to hers in Papakura so he could care for her.
"'When someone meets him they just love him," his sister said. "You can see straight away in his eyes and in his smile that he's genuine."
Ms Kaukau said it was agonising not knowing what had happened on Karangahape Rd early on Saturday morning.
"It's the 'what happened' thing that's standing out for us. We think that someone must know something.
"They just need to remember this is somebody's son, somebody's uncle, somebody's brother, and if they've seen something, it doesn't hurt to share that information.
"If that was your family, you wouldn't want to be left in the dark. Knowing exactly what happened to him means one less thing that's going to take our minds away from concentrating on his recovery."
Police are reviewing security camera images from the area but have no leads.
Detective Sergeant Neil Hilton urged anyone with information on what happened to Mr Kaukau to contact the Auckland Central police station on (09) 302-6400.
