Toolamba gunshot victim Declan Ewart’s mum, Paige Ewart, gives her son a hug in his hospital bed at The Alfred in Melbourne.
A teenager who suffered a close-range gunshot wound to his leg after a 12-gauge shotgun accidentally discharged on a property at Ardmona recently is now doing well after early setbacks in his recovery.
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Sixteen-year-old Declan Ewart was shooting with a couple of mates when the incident occurred at around 10pm on June 13.
He was flown by air ambulance to The Alfred hospital in Melbourne that night, where he has been since.
He had two minor surgeries in the first couple of days of his stay to clean the wound, stabilise the main vessel and remove dead tissue in his right leg, but unexpectedly required a blood transfusion on June 17 to prepare him for major flap surgery the following day.
The specialised flap surgery — a more intensive surgery than a skin graft — which included reconstructing Declan’s muscle and nerve system in his injured leg, was successful; however, an infection plummeted the teen back into severe pain soon after.
“Within moments, it felt like every doctor, nurse and specialist imaginable had rushed to his bedside to help manage the situation and bring his pain under control,” Declan’s mum, Paige Ewart, said.
“It was one of the most frightening experiences we’ve ever faced as a family.”
Declan was placed on oxygen as his intensive care unit medical team continued to watch him closely to determine whether further surgeries would be required.
On June 19, Ms Ewart was able to talk with her son. She said his voice brought her much relief.
Declan Ewart was able to talk with his mum, Paige Ewart, and drink some chocolate milk following a scare after his major surgery.
“He was enjoying a chocolate milk ... those small moments remind us that underneath all the tubes, machines, procedures and setbacks, he’s still our brave boy,” Ms Ewart said.
The following day, Declan’s 24-hour watch was increased to a 72-hour watch in the plastics ICU ward, with medical practitioners regularly performing ultrasounds on his skin flap to check its blood flow and pulse.
Two days later, Declan took a turn for the better.
The drain in his leg was removed ahead of time and he reported that his pain had almost subsided completely.
Ms Ewart said the doctors were planning to take off Declan’s bandages on June 24 and allow him to slowly dangle his leg over the side of his hospital bed, “little by little”, to help improve blood flow and reduce some strain.
Toolamba’s Declan Ewart faces a long road to recovery after suffering a gunshot when a firearm accidentally discharged, but he’s on the right track.
“He has now been completely taken off ketamine,” she said on June 23.
“He remains on antibiotics and is still receiving injections in his stomach twice a day to help prevent blood clots.
“The team is currently aiming for a possible discharge from The Alfred next Wednesday (July 1).”
After his discharge, Declan will be transferred to GV Health for rehabilitation.
A GoFundMe fundraiser set up by a friend of Ms Ewart’s to help the mother and son with costs associated with their temporary displacement and loss of income during Declan’s hospital stay and recovery had attracted $4931 in donations by June 23.
