Josh Storer suffered a traumatic brain injury on July 9 from an assault in an Auckland bar. He underwent emergency surgery involving a craniectomy which removed part of his skull. Photo / Supplied
Josh Storer suffered a traumatic brain injury on July 9 from an assault in an Auckland bar. He underwent emergency surgery involving a craniectomy which removed part of his skull. Photo / Supplied
Josh Storer celebrated his 26th birthday yesterday minus the right half of his skull and surrounded by family who thought they would never see this day.
A new artificial skull will be made for Storer once level 2 arrives in Auckland - and the UK man hopes a six-month waiting list for his brain surgery is hastened on compassionate grounds.
Until then, only a protective helmet, skin and his parents and sister's supervision will protect Storer's recovering brain.
Saturday's "miracle" birthday celebration is something Storer's sister Sian said the family thought was near impossible on July 9 when his Derby-based parents received a devastating emergency call from Auckland doctors.
Josh Storer on Torbay beach on Auckland's North Shore celebrating his 26th birthday with his mum Dawn. Photo / Supplied
The Storer family at their Torbay rental on October 2, 2021: Ian, Sian, Josh, Dawn. Photo / Supplied
Josh Storer's parents Ian and Dawn rushed to New Zealand via a critical purpose border exemption - arriving in Auckland Hospital ICU as Josh woke from his coma on August 7 after their 14-day MIQ stay.
Friday was the first time in almost four years, the Storers have all been together in the same room with Josh after he moved to New Zealand in April 2018 on a working visa as a plumber.
The 26-year-old was discharged from Ranui's ABI rehabilitation centre for traumatic brain injury on Friday morning.
He has been at ABI for six weeks but without any visitors until level 3 begun two weeks ago, and sister Sian could visit him for an hour a day. His sister had arrived in New Zealand during the national lockdown.
His father Ian says they were "just overjoyed to see him and see the smile on his face - unbelievable".
"We're very grateful," he said on Friday afternoon.
"But most of that's just down to how bloody strong willed he is.
"We honestly never thought we were going to get to 26 after that phone call [on July 9].
Josh Storer at the beach on Auckland's North Shore on October 2, 2021, celebrating his 26th birthday. Photo / Supplied
The Storers gathered in their Torbay rental house on Auckland's North Shore specifically chosen for its safe lack of stairs and potential hazards.
"He's being referred to cardiac because he has trouble when he stands up or if he gets up too quick," Sian said.
"Gravity takes its toll and pulls the blood down, so he gets lightheaded and faints and that's when he can be at risk of falling over. So he does wear a helmet at the moment, just to protect his head because where they've taken the skull out it's literally just the skin and the brain."
But despite his physical vulnerability, the Storer family are hugely grateful to have a talking, walking and functioning Josh they had doubted would return when he was first injured.
"I wouldn't say it's the exact same [Josh before the accident], but I would say mostly," Sian says.
"He's forgetful, he's going to have some trouble with problem solving and things like that, and emotions can be up and down hour to hour."
Sian says it's "difficult to tell at the moment" whether Josh will make a full recovery.
"In terms of the damage, that's irreversible. There's quite a lot of scarring on the frontal lobe," she said.
"The doctors are shocked that he got this far to be honest. They told us to prepare for the worst so to be honest I think he's a bit of a miracle."
Sian Storer with her brother Josh at ABI Rehabilitation centre in Ranui, Auckland. Photo / Supplied
The skull was removed the night of Josh's traumatic head injury on July 9 to release pressure on the brain, which was swelling and had several bleeds.
"They said they would test Josh's skull at a later date to see if it was suitable to be put back and if not then they would get a replacement skull. [They've] since tested it and it isn't suitable to go back," Sian said.
The procedure Josh underwent to remove a bond flap is called a craniectomy and if not replaced with the original bone either a metal plate, or a synthetic material will be inserted.
Once Auckland goes down to level 2, the Storer's have been told there is a six-month waiting list for a neurosurgeon to be available to insert Josh's new artificial skull.
The Storers are yet uncertain how much the surgery and medical bills will cost, but are under the impression the ACC will cover most of it because Josh was on a work visa. The UK NHS public healthcare system should cover Josh's further rehabilitation when he gets back to the UK.
Josh Storer's friends in Derby, UK, held a football match fundraiser to help the 26-year-old's family travel to Auckland to support him in his recover. It raised nearly $7000 NZD. Photo / Supplied
But the Storers face the financial burden of living in New Zealand for an indeterminate amount of time having paused their jobs in the UK.
The family also face a $12,000-plus bill from their stay in MIQ.
A football match fundraiser and raffle organised by the Storers' friends in the UK on September 19 raised £3552 ($6922) to help them stay in New Zealand as long as possible.
A GoFundMe page has also been set up to assist with the Storer's living expenses in New Zealand.
Josh Storer on his first full day out of rehab after suffering a traumatic brain injury. The UK man is celebrating his 26th birthday at the Torbay property his family has rented. Photo / Supplied
Ian plans to return to the UK and his work at the Derby Toyota car manufacturer by the end of November. He hopes ACC insurance may be able to secure Josh's brain surgery in the private system to fast-track it before he leaves New Zealand.
"He's planning to come back to the UK and see his grandparents. In fact he said earlier that he didn't think he was going to see his family again and he nearly had his chance taken away from him seeing as he nearly died," Sian said.
The family also await the next North Shore District Court appearance of the 56-year-old man charged with assault over the July 9 incident at the Albany bar.
Ian says his son has been "bored silly" during rehab with a workaholic nature that has barely seen him take a day-off since he was 16.
"Our worries really are: can he get back to something like he was? Can he beat this depression? Is his memory going to improve and his mood swings? Is he going to be able to problem solve? I mean he was brilliant at his job, he needed to be able to do mathematics and problem solve to do it. Can he return to that?" Ian Storer said.
"Is he going to live a full life properly? But no body knows, they can't tell us for some time. So that's our worry. But we're grateful he's back. He's got a big smile on his face when we picked him up, and that means everything."
