Cian Milligan: Crash was life-changing for County Down teenager

The family of a County Down teenager have spoken about the moment their lives changed after a two-vehicle crash which left him in a wheelchair.

On 16 October 2020, a car and a bus collided on the Downpatrick Road outside Clough.

Everyone involved survived.

But for the father of Cian Milligan, the moment will remain etched in his memory.

Damian Milligan recalls two police officers arriving at his work that morning.

"They took me outside and told me that Cian and Ryan (Cian's older brother) had been involved in the accident," he says.

"They said that Cian had been airlifted to the Royal Victoria Hospital and Ryan was in an ambulance on his way to the Royal Victoria Hospital and that I had to get there as quickly as I possibly could."

When Damian arrived at the hospital, he met Ryan.

"I remember that morning waking up and me and Cian getting ready for school," Ryan recalls.

"I remember getting conscious in the ambulance and then falling asleep again. I remember you [Damian] coming in to the hospital and I asked 'How's Cian?' and you said Cian was very sick."

After months of struggling and treatment, much of which was in England, Cian was able to move home to Northern Ireland.

But his injuries were significant, with "internal injuries, broken bones," Damian says.

He was worried for his son, a talented Gaelic football and soccer player.

"You go through stages of 'will he survive?' To, 'what improvements can he make?'

Cian spent six months at a rehab centre in Surrey.

"It's been a massive fight and a massive achievement," Damian says.

Perhaps the single greatest marker of that achievement is the chance to move home to Castlewellan.

Cian is now 16, 6ft 3in tall and requires a wheelchair.

He is non-verbal and is fed through a peg into his stomach.

As such, moving home requires a great deal of planning and renovation.

Cian's mum Brenda has become his primary carer and has located a property for the family to live in while their house is being renovated.

It is hoped the renovations at Cian's home - including ramps, wider doors and a special bathroom will be completed in the autumn.

Before that, the family will have to move again in June as their rental agreement on their current property comes to an end.

All of this adds more pressure, more stress.

"Before we got this property sorted, we looked through various channels but there is no list," Damian says.

"It is a huge problem.

"Our massive fear was that he'd [Cian] end up back in hospital or a care facility just because we couldn't find somewhere to live.

"We were looking as far away as Portaferry, Newry, Armagh."

This is something that disability rights activist Michaela Hollywood knows all about.

"Anyone can become part of the disability community and there is no rule book telling you what you need to do," she says.

She says new homes need to be more "accessible or easily adaptable" as the rental market can be "extremely challenging" for people with disabilities.

"We need a functioning executive," she says.

"This is a devolved matter so we need leadership to make those changes."

At present, Cian is trying to build strength in his vocal chords that will aid communication.

In the long term it is hoped he will have access to a computer device that will help him communicate with his eyes.

Anything that might help maximise recovery.

"His sense of humour is still there," Damian says.

"He loves a laugh and a smile.

"I see little progressions on a daily basis that we hope will develop further."