21-year-old Thijm from Herpen ended up seriously injured in intensive care after he was beaten up on the Eleventh of the Eleventh in Den Bosch. A week after the incident, he is allowed to continue recovering at home, his mother says. “It remains exciting whether he will become his old self.”
It is a hopeful turn for the family of 21-year-old Thijm. “He is doing a bit better than a few days ago,” his mother Esther said on Monday, more than a week after the incident. This left him with, among other things, a fractured skull and a hemorrhage in his brain.
In good hands
Although his neurologist ruled after a brain scan that he no longer needed to stay in the hospital, homesickness also played a role in the decision. “I have 32 years of experience in healthcare,” says Esther. “So after careful consultation with the hospital, we decided that continuing to recover at home was the best choice.”
Thijm’s mother is still cautious in her optimism: “It is still very difficult to say whether he is really doing better or whether he is just having a good moment,” she says. Thijm can handle very few stimuli and eating and talking becomes very difficult. “He also vomits a lot and has a severe headache.”
Long road
Still, there were positive moments. “With a lot of pain medication we can say that all organs and muscle functions are still working,” she says very carefully. “This way he has already been able to take a few steps.” But Thijm remembers nothing of the moment itself. “If we tell him, he’ll forget.”
Although Thijm is at home, an exciting period begins for the family. “The neurologist said that recovery is possible given the scan, but we only really know that in the long term. For example, headaches and hypersensitivity may be permanent. He has a long way to go.”
Overloaded with support
Since Thijm ended up in hospital, the family has been on an emotional rollercoaster. “It seems like you are watching a film about someone else. Sometimes it feels like nothing is happening and a few minutes later I am scared and sad,” says the exhausted Esther.
The support of friends and acquaintances is then invaluable. “I have really had so many flowers, gifts and cards and the phone is ringing off the hook,” says Esther. “That’s really empowering and it touches me.”
Research in full swing
It is not yet clear who was responsible for Thijm’s injury. “I want to know why someone is doing this and as long as he is not caught, I worry about others. That he will cause more victims,” says Esther, touched.
The police called witnesses on Sunday, but Esther cannot say what the result was. “I must honestly say that I have let go of the police investigation a bit,” says the mother. “I can’t bear that now. Thijm’s health is now my top priority.”
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We also spoke to Thijm’s mother after the abuse, read what she said here.