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'The memory of what happened is with me every day'

Jack and Martina Cox with Jason McAteer, Ian Rush and Stephen Felle, Trustee of Sean Cox Rehabilitation Trust
Jack and Martina Cox with Jason McAteer, Ian Rush and Stephen Felle, Trustee of Sean Cox Rehabilitation Trust

It’s nearly a year since that fateful Tuesday night outside Anfield and a night that will be forever etched in the thoughts of Martina Cox.  

News would come through that her husband, Seán, was the victim of a savage attack from Roma supporter Simone Mastrelli prior to the Champions League semi-final.

It left him with brutal brain injuries.

Everything changed on 24 April, 2018.

On this Friday evening, an Irish Legends XI will take on a Liverpool Legends XI in a charity match to raise funds for the Sean Cox Rehabilitation Trust at the Aviva Stadium (kick-off 7.45pm).

"The game is a huge thing for the family and Sean will really relish it," Martina Cox told RTÉ Sport's Damien O'Meara ahead of the fundraising event.

"The match will be truly a great occasion – the Liverpool and Irish Legends all coming together for Sean."

A lot of money has been raised so far, but Mrs Cox revealed that "the costs that we are going to incur with Seán long term will realistically run into millions".

There’s a tough road ahead for the family as a consequence of something that lasted only seconds outside a football ground.

From somewhere, the mother of three has found the resolve to deal with the cruel hand she’s been dealt.

"Sean would have been to Anfield many, many times. He would have felt really comfortable there. Wrong place, wrong time. Unfortunately he was the person that they attacked.

"He's hugely missed in the house. It's awful without him here. We're working towards getting him the best possible rehab that we can."

"The memory of what happened that night is with me every day.

"It's the first thing I think of in the morning and the last thing I think of at night. Sean's not there and that's really, really difficult.

"This time last year my life and Sean's life was completely normal. Little did I know what was ahead of us.

"I really don't know where I get the strength from, but when these type of things face you, you do get the strength from somewhere. I'm doing it for Seán.

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"He's hugely missed in the house. It's awful without him here. We're working towards getting him the best possible rehab that we can."

And that rehab will involve finding another rehabilitation facility for the 54-year-old in the UK when his treatment in Dún Laoghaire's National Rehabilitation Hospital ends in June.

"He definitely is progressing, in that it is very slow progress. We can see the changes in him over the last couple of months.

"He's more engaging; he's off all feeding tubes. He's eating regular food now which is great. He's able to drink a normal cup of tea, a normal cup of coffee.

"They are all huge things given where he was a couple of months ago.

"I'm going over to the UK in the next week or so to actually visit rehab units and find the best for Sean"

"He can talk a little bit more and has bit more movement but yet he has so many difficulties ahead of him.

"He is struggling on the speech level, getting words out. That is difficult and frustrating for him and upsetting for us.

A sign in support of Seán Cox at Páirc Tailteann in Navan

"He needs so much more help in terms of speech and language therapy, which we will get for him. We are building him up towards that.

"When he finishes in the National Rehab Hospital at the end of June, he needs so much more rehab. The result of that is that he needs to go to the UK because there are no other facilities in Ireland, which is awful.

"I'm going over to the UK in the next week or so to actually visit rehab units and find the best for Seán."

Seán Cox knows he’s going to the Aviva on Friday and while his wife referenced the great occasion it will be, the next few weeks will be poignant for the family.

"Seán’s birthday is coming, and then there’s the big build-up to the 24th," she added.

"He's been home twice for a couple of hours in the last year. When you think about it it's nothing.

"It’s all about planning for the next step."

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