Despite some good news concerning the medical condition of injured national cyclist Andre Simon at a US hospital, his family says there are still some hurdles to overcome on his path to recovery.
Simon was severely injured after he was struck by a motorist during a training ride on May 8. He was airlifted to the TIRR Memorial Hospital in Texas on July 2 after a mammoth fundraising effort that remains underway.
In an update posted to Facebook at the weekend, his brother Dwayne Simon, who accompanied Andre to Texas, explained that a pressure ulcer on his brother’s posterior region has been interfering with treatment plans.
Dwayne further explained that, after assessment, it was classified as a stage three wound and an X-ray was carried out to determine the severity, specifically whether an infection was affecting nearby bone, of which thankfully there was no evidence.
Unfortunately, the infection may mean more expenses for the family with doctors now exploring whether the athlete may need to be temporarily transferred to another specialist facility.
However, there was also some good news announced; Andre is now using a specialised bed to help the wound heal fast and minimise the need for turning.
“He is increasingly breathing better through his nose. This is good,” Dwayne wrote, adding that it places Andre a step closer to having his tracheostomy tube removed.
There are also improvements to his overall appearance as the bruises around his body heal, along with his vital signs and food tolerance.
Dwayne added that Andre’s care providers are also considering weaning the cyclist off anti-seizure medication since he is not demonstrating any seizures.
Three other cyclists were also struck in May’s road accident but were discharged from hospital soon after. A 39-year-old man from Hatton has been charged with dangerous driving.