A YOUNG father who defied death in a fall from a seven-storey building is looking forward to Christmas and the future.

Dave Conway (37), from Rathcoole, Dublin, lost both his feet in the horrific fall five months ago when working on a construction site close to Brisbane on the Australian Gold Coast.

The upbeat Dubliner will be celebrating Christmas with his mother Connie and father Shay, his partner Vivienne and seven-year-old daughter Keisha.

Mr Conway was resuscitated by colleagues after falling 20 metres through scaffolding onto concrete at Lakefront Crescent at Varsity Lakes.

He has undergone 26 operations and has had two amputations from just below the knee and is practising how to use a wheelchair. Next year he will get prosthetics fitted. He has even been told to drink Guinness to help his recovery.

His older brother Stephen, who has just returned from visiting him, said the day he fell will never be forgotten.

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"It's quite ironic really when you think about Dave's fall. He fell seven storeys at 7am on his daughter's seventh birthday. It has been a very long road for him and it will continue to be but he knows how blessed he is to be here," said Stephen.

"He is looking forward to the future and every day he is getting healthier, fitter and closer to getting out of hospital. Everyone is hopeful that Dave will be discharged around March time.

"While I was there I thought my brother would be down and depressed - but he has a goal, and that is to get stronger and fitter to live a long life for his daughter, his partner, our parents, my brother Richie and myself.

"All of us just want the best for him because he is just such a good guy. Everyone just rallied round when he had his accident first and a large amount of money was raised to help with his medical costs."

Two days after Mr Conway's fall, his entire family, including brothers Stephen (40) and Richie (35), flew out to be with him - not knowing if he would be alive once they made it to Brisbane. His mother has remained in Australia since her son's life-changing fall and visits him daily. He emigrated to Australia in 2002.

"We are all looking forward to the day Dave is able to come home to Ireland for a visit but the whole family is realistic that it won't be for a long time. We are just so thankful we have with us still," Stephen added.

"Dave knows he could have died, that his injuries could have been so much worse. The doctors have even prescribed him Guinness to help build up his strength and he's loving that."

Online Editors