The family of a 27-year-old Port St Mary man who suffered a severe hypoglycaemic brain injury last year are appealing for community support to help bring him home from long-term neurological care in the UK.

Ethan Richardson sustained a significant brain injury on September 8, 2024, as a result of hypoglycaemia – a medical condition caused by abnormally low levels of glucose in the blood. He was diagnosed with type one diabetes at the age of 14.

Following the incident, Ethan was treated at Noble’s Hospital, where his initial prognosis was poor and medical staff did not expect him to survive.

His family remained with him between September and December 2024 as he showed limited signs of recovery, including periods of wakefulness.

In December 2024, Ethan was transferred by air ambulance to the Sid Watkins Rehabilitation Centre in Liverpool for specialist assessment of his level of consciousness. He remained there until September 2025.

After further assessment, he was transferred to Liverpool’s Derby House Neurological Care Home, where he currently resides. He has since been diagnosed as being in a minimally conscious state.

Ethan’s mother, Jo Dunne, has travelled weekly from the Isle of Man to be with him during his time in the UK, often living in a camper van to reduce costs.

The situation has placed significant strain on the family, with Jo’s partner remaining on the Isle of Man to support their other son.

‘We’ve been in survival mode for 18 months really,’ Jo said. ‘I have no family in the UK, so to be in Liverpool in that situation with no family support was awful.

‘However, it was good to be close to Ethan and the support I got from the locals in Liverpool was fantastic.’

With assessments now concluded, discharge planning from hospital care is under way.

However, the Isle of Man does not currently have the specialist neurological services Ethan requires. His family says it would be in his best interests to return home, where he could be supported by his family, including his five-year-old son.

To make this possible, the family needs to adapt their home to meet Ethan’s complex care needs. Planned modifications include converting their garage into accessible living accommodation and installing disabled access.

Jo has set up a GoFundMe page to raise the necessary funds, with more than £7,500 already raised towards a £20,000 target.

‘We haven’t really gone public with Ethan’s story until last weekend, but we are now hoping to get these works done as soon as possible as the hospital are ready to discharge him,’ she said.

She added that there was currently no care or support plan in place on the Isle of Man to facilitate Ethan’s return home.

‘The Isle of Man has no care or support plan around Ethan coming home, and there’s been a severe lack of planning,’ Jo said.

‘We know that Ethan’s lifespan has been significantly reduced because of his injury. We have a very small window of time with him now and we want to make sure that it is quality time.’

More information about Ethan’s situation, including how to donate, can be found via the family’s GoFundMe page: https://www.gofundme.com/f/please-help-bring-ethan-home-to-his-family