Greek Australian man from Darwin, Charlie (Sakellaris) Kathopoulis continues to fight for his life in the Intensive Care Unit of Rhodes General Hospital, almost three months after he was attacked on 30 May, by two men who broke into his residence, leaving him unconscious with horrific injuries.
The 43-year-old man was in Rhodes completing his army requirements and helping to settle his late father’s estate when he was attacked. He was badly beaten to the head with a steel bar and stabbed multiple times in the throat and chest.
The attempted murder of the young Greek Australian was over a piece of wire, according to the local press Demokratiki of Rhodes who reported at the time, that two gypsies, aged 34 and 50 years, son and father, who attacked 43-year-old Sakellaris (Charlie) Kathopoulis were facing criminal charges for attempted manslaughter and that the murderous attack on the 43-year-old man, was over a piece of wire.
Emergency surgery was performed on Charlie Kathopoulis, and he was placed into a medically induced coma for 35 days.
“His injuries include major head trauma, skull fractures, an explosive fracture to the jaw, a critically damaged windpipe, a broken collarbone and punctured lungs. The doctors later performed a tracheostomy through a stab wound to his throat. It is yet to be determined the extent of the damage to his windpipe, vocal cords and brain,” the family states through the Gofundme platform as they are desperately trying to raise the funds to bring him back home. The Greek Australian man still needs multiple surgeries and has a long way to go before he can start the long process of recovery.
“It’s been overwhelming,” his sister Michelle Kathopoulis tells Neos Kosmos. She has been by his side, with her mother and sister, since 2 June, when they flew to Rhodes from Australia not knowing if Charlie would survive, leaving behind their young children, partners and businesses.
“It’s just really disheartening that so much time goes by. What they are doing [at Rhodes Hospital] is great. They saved his life. They are caring for him, they are keeping him alive. I can’t fault that level of care. But it’s the bureaucratic, the logistical process of getting him removed and getting him operated that is taking far too long.”
Ms Kathopoulis explains that the Rhodes Hospital cannot perform the surgeries he still needs. The hospital has instead approached four different hospitals in Greece to admit Charlie to receive the lifesaving operations but he has been denied admission each time, for reasons beyond their comprehension.
“Charlie is now breathing on his own, with oxygen support. He is awake, aware, scared, and responsive. Due to the tracheostomy and tubes in his trachea, he is unable to talk. He communicates by eye movement and the squeezing of our hands. However, he tires easily and quickly becomes deeply distressed, resulting in the need to sedate him.”
She adds that “regardless of his condition, now that he can breathe on his own, he will be moved from ICU into a general ward”. A prospect that for obvious reasons, terrifies them.
“The bottom line at the moment is, is that they’re trying to move him out of ICU and put him into a ward. And I don’t understand why because all the operations that he needs cannot be done here,” she tells Neos Kosmos.
“The ICU in the Royal Darwin hospital have already accepted him based on the information that they have seen, and have confirmed in writing that they will receive him,” Ms Kathopoulis says. “Whatever surgery they can’t do, which is the wind pipe surgery, they can certainly organise internally in Australia.”
The family is collating funds as quickly as they can to pay for Charlie’s transfer to Australia. “Our cheapest quote is 421,000, which doesn’t include all transportation costs.” But they have got almost half of that, which is why they are trying to raise another $200k through the GofundMe platform.
“My mum’s even put her property up for sale. But that will take time and we don’t really have months to wait. If we can raise those funds, it would absolutely make the biggest difference, because it would mean that we could do it. We can get him home to a health care system that can provide for him the level of care that can be organised logistically.”
The family has been in contact with local and federal MPs and is in ongoing dialogue with the Australian Embassy, but according to them, none of this has assisted them in reaching the next stage required for Charlie’s recovery.
“This is the only avenue left open to us to save our brother my mum’s son,” Ms Kathopoulis states. Though they are in the process of collating all their funds, they are unable to reach the required amount without help.
“We understand how very tough things are for everyone right now, and it is only in this deeply humbled and desperate state we find ourselves, that we ask you with the utmost respect, to give even the smallest amount if you are able. Please, help us bring our Charlie home.”
To help the family you can donate through the following link: bit.ly/3bMpdgi