Gold Coast helicopter crash victim Nicholas Tadros has received nearly a half a million dollars, including donations from a Sydney parish, on top of the prayers they’ve raised.
The 10-year-old parishioner and altar server at St Padre Pio parish, Glenmore Park, lost his mother Vanessa Tadros, an event planner and stylist, in a helicopter crash at Sea World theme park on 2 January.
He suffered extensive serious injuries. Four people were killed in the highly-publicised collision between two helicopters on scenic flights.
“His bills are mounting. Nicholas and Simon need Australia’s help to fight this together.”
An appeal was raised to assist with Mrs Tadros’ funeral costs. Nicholas’ karate teacher Andrew Nasr launched a second appeal in February to help his father, Simon, a truck driver, who has not worked since the accident.
Simon needed help to support the medical costs his son is expected to require for the rest of his life.
“His bills are mounting. Nicholas and Simon need Australia’s help to fight this together,” Mr Nasr wrote.
Parish priest Fr Suresh Kumar told The Catholic Weekly that the parish, including Nicholas’ school, had rallied strongly together to pray from the first day and now are also supporting the fundraising appeal.
“It brought the community together to pray because it was all we could do at that time, it is what they needed the most and we also needed to do something,” he said.
“People were devastated, especially the children who studied with him. Nicholas was known to everybody because he’s also an altar server.
“We believe that only God can change the situation and we are still at the feet of the Lord so much.”
Simon Tadros recently explained to media he had lost count of the number of surgeries his son Nicholas had already required and that neither has had an opportunity to grieve the loss of their wife and mother.
Almost every bone in Nicholas’ body was broken in the crash and in February doctors lost their battle to save his right lower leg. He suffered lung damage due to inhaling aviation fuel, and kidney damage.
“We believe that only God can change the situation and we are still at the feet of the Lord so much.”
“If he’s fighting this type of fight, I’m going to fight it with him and be there for him as much as I can,” Simon Tadros said.
“I pray to God every day. If my son’s ok, I’ll be ok.”
The Australian Transport Safety Bureau released a preliminary report into the collision on 7 March, detailing the circumstances of the collision.
Chief commissioner Angus Mitchell said it was yet to make findings.