FORMER GAA star Shane King has told how his teenage son opened his eyes for the first time since being placed in a coma following a weekend fall from a mountain bike.
Patrick King (15) suffered a brain injury after coming off the bike in Kilbroney Forest Park in Rostrevor on Saturday.
He was left with two broken vertebrae and sustained bruising to the brain, and is currently in intensive care in Craigavon Area Hospital.
Shane King, who played senior inter-county football for both Fermanagh and Down, has been maintaining a bedside vigil along with his wife Elizabeth.
He thanked well-wishers, saying the family had been "inundated" with messages of support.
Mr King told The Irish News: "He is off the ventilator and his eyes are now open, but he is very confused.
"He is in serious pain and unfortunately because of the nature of the injury there is very little that they can do for him in terms of pain relief. It is hard to watch him in such pain and confusion.
"He is speaking but it is slow and slurred. The one thing he wanted to know about was his bike."
Mr King added: "We don't know how much of a memory he has of the accident, and to raise it could cause him to become very agitated so we want to avoid that."
Mr King had appealed for prayers for his son, whose helmet was cracked by the impact of the fall, following the accident.
Patrick, who suffered a head injury two years ago, was with friends when he came off the bike while travelling down a hill.
A Year 11 pupil at St Colman's College in Newry, he celebrated his 15th birthday earlier this month.
His father, a former SDLP candidate in council elections in 2014, said that "everything is moving in a positive direction".
"It is still the case that no medical intervention is being recommended at this stage and the next goal would be to get him out of intensive care. His toes are the only parts of his body that aren't causing him pain."
He added: "We are now at the next stage of the healing process but it is definitely better than two days ago."
