I will never forget my children’s bravery

A CORK family who narrowly escaped death after a horrific car crash that resulted in the deaths of three men are being acknowledged for their bravery with a trip to Disneyland.

Mary Bermingham was en-route to Waterford for a Christmas outing before the horrific incident occurred. She had been travelling with her partner and four children-Chloe (now 17), Thomas (15), Annalee (10) and Abbie (9), when she spotted a vehicle heading in their direction.

The driver of the other car which had crossed over to the wrong side of the road was killed along with his two passengers after their vehicle burst into flames following the crash.

Mary and her family were all taken from the scene to the CUH suffering various injuries. She admits she still suffers from the long-term effects of the crash.

“My C2 vertabrae was fractured in the crash. Being bed bound for the first six weeks was probably one of the hardest parts for me. My right leg was shattered as well as my left hand,” she said.

“The trauma also lives on for Chloe. The relaxed teenager is gone. In the crash, her spleen was torn as well as her intestines and bowel.

“She has a scar on her torso now, which often gets her down but I always remind her that her scar tells a story.

“Annalee’s eyes crossed over as a result of the physical trauma but fortunately, this has corrected itself over time. Thomas was the only one to come out more or less unscathed with just a small mark on his shoulder.”

John Looney from the Cork City Hospitals Children’s Club was so touched by the family’s story he has nominated them to travel to Disneyland with the charity in October.

“I never thought, when leaving home that day, that we wouldn’t be back for months to come.

We have been to hell and back since the accident,” Mary said.

Nonetheless, a ray of hope came in the form of a call from the Cork City Hospitals Children’s Club founder.

“My son has cerebral palsy and had experienced a bad fall. I was having a really bad day.

“The moment before I got the call from John Looney I was sitting on the bed with my head in my hands about to have a cry.

“The call changed everything. For us this is more than just a trip to Disneyland, it’s a reminder that we’re still alive.”

John Looney wasn’t the only person to show the family kindness during their horrific ordeal.

She made reference to the selfless gesture of one paramedic who attended the scene.

“When Abbie was rushed to hospital she was worried about a little toy she left in the car, one of the Sylvanian family characters.

This guy had come across a gruesome scene that day but still remembered how much she wanted her little toy back.

“His daughter gave him one of her own Sylvanian toys and he brought it all the way to the hospital for her.”

“That toy means so much more to than the old one before because it came from a place of real kindness.”

Mary described how the incident has bound them together.

“What we’ve taken from this is a huge appreciation of life. Before I used to scold the youngest girls for sneaking into my bed in the middle of the night. Now, I wouldn’t dream of it because I know that could have been taken away from me. It’s also made us realise just how good and fantastic people are.”

Memories from that day remain etched in Mary’s mind. The mother-of-four said she will never forget her children’s bravery.

“I can still remember the kids all dressed in their Santa jumpers. The car was filled with smoke. Abbie’s bones were broken, but she still managed to untie all our seatbelts. Thomas didn’t realise the gravity of what had just occurred and was asking if this meant we would no longer get to see Santa.”

To this day Mary still believes her brother, who passed away in a car accident at the age of 24, was watching over her on that horrific day.

“When I was being taken into the air ambulance I had this vision of my brother Christopher, who died in a car accident four years ago, putting his arms around me. The message I took from him was “you will walk again.”

Every day is a struggle for the family.

“Sometimes it can be difficult,” Mary confessed.

“Recently a memory came up on my Facebook of me running a few years ago. I’d do anything to be able to run again, but I still hope for these things.”

The invitation to Disneyland has been a dream come true for Mary.

“The funny thing was I had really wanted a family holiday, but I knew that having to manage Thomas’s wheelchair abroad would have been too much of an ordeal. This way I’ll have help and won’t have to worry about these things. We are so grateful to John Looney for what he has done for us.”

:: Donations to the Cork City Hospitals Children’s Club can be made using the following details: Bank of Ireland - Wilton Cork Sort Code: 90-28-05 A/C no: 34653800.

For more information on the charity check out their facebook page.