NATIONAL: Autistic boy viciously beaten on Luas as mum hails kind-hearted response
A mum has thanked the local heroes who helped her autistic son after he was viciously beaten on a Luas.
On Christmas Eve, an autistic boy was taking a Luas into Grafton Street to visit his favourite Disney store when two people taunted him because of his autism.
His mum, Rowena Maiden, thanked the “local heroes” who helped her son, Luke, on social media.
“Thank you to some local hero’s! On Christmas Eve our precious boy that has autism and an intellectual disability was taking a Luas into grafton street to see his fellow autistic friend for a look in their favourite Disney Store.
“While sitting on the Luas he got distressed when he saw some anti social behaviour! Two addicts heavily strung out were taunting our sons autistic presentation and his intellectual disability. When he responded please stop I’ve got autism they then punched him, kicked him and dislocated his knee.
The Luas was stopped and a few good guys carried our son off the Luas, lay him on the ground, put umbrellas over him and called ambulance and us parents. They stayed with him the entire time reassuring him he’s safe.”
The family spent Christmas Eve in the A&E.
“All through the night our Christmas Eve was spent in a&e till the early hours of Christmas morning. All the nurses/doctors and carers showered such care. On Christmas Day we got home and joined family for dinner, exhausted Luke was determined to join in,” Rowena said.
“Sadly the dislocated knee that was reset by skilled doctors was causing him awful pain. We phoned a&e to ask for guidance! They remembered how frightened, vulnerable, childlike and autistic Luke was, they also were so sad that he’d been grossly hurt on the Luas. The consultant doctor felt the knee brace needed to be upgraded! He also didn’t want to put Luke through anymore distress! So he chose to drive to our location with crutches/knee braces/walking sticks and pain relief, rather than have Luke go back into a&e.”
The consultant spent an hour placing the leg brace on Luke.
“We’ve never experienced anything quite like this and we honestly needed to taste this act of care/service and unbelievable sacrificial love. For Luke he felt VIP! For us as parents we were reassured that even though we live in sometimes a broken scary world, there’s still good and local hero’s. Thank you to Ciaran, Geoff, Garreth, Anna, Caoimhe and An Garda Siochana for immeasurable compassion in the pouring rain and the best of Doctors care on Christmas Day. We’ll never forget it,” Rowena concluded.