Injured Whangārei Marcel Syron could be home from Panama in a month or so

Marcel Syron (left) and his best mate Cameron Holm pictured during an overseas trip.

Plans are afoot to bring seriously-injured Whangārei yachtie Marcel Syron back home from Panama in the next two to four weeks with appropriate medical support.

He was injured while diving in a swimming pool on March 26. At the time, he was preparing to sail through the Panama Canal after he had sailed through the Mediterranean, across the Atlantic and around the Caribbean.

He was put in an induced coma. Family and friends set up a Givealittle page that had raised nearly $34,000 by Wednesday afternoon.

His Auckland-based best mate Cameron Holm flew over in April to be with him and said funding was among the things that would need to be sorted before Syron was flown back to a spinal care facility, either in Auckland or Christchurch.

Holm said Syron could move his fingers in his right hand and could also move his left arm a little. He uses a communication board to correspond with others and may never be able to move his legs again, Holm said.

“It’s basically like being born again, having to do everything again. He’s improving from a second bout of pneumonia. With appropriate support, he will be allowed to fly back but they will get delayed if he gets pneumonia again,” Holm said.

Either two doctors or a doctor and a support person would need to be flown from New Zealand to accompany him home, he said. They and Syron would fly back business class as he could not sit up. If this was not possible, an air ambulance from Panama to Houston could cost between $US75,000 ($121,000) and $US100,000, Holm said.

Fortunately, Syron’s yacht was in the process of being sold, which would help with expenses, he said.

“The cost of everything is going to be crazy. We haven’t got any indication as to how much his treatment will cost. When he gets discharged is when we’ll get a summary of the breakdown in costs.”

He said a New Zealand-based company that specialises in bringing patients back to New Zealand has contacted Syron’s family.

“Our main focus is on getting Marcel back to New Zealand but it would be quite costly to do that. We hope he’ll be good enough to sit in business class,” Holm said.

He and Syron had worked together as builders in Auckland, travelled the world over, and lived in London - where both took part in a bottle-boat crossing of the English Channel a few years ago to raise money for mental health.

Seeing his friend lying helplessly in bed was tough, Holm said.

“The crazy things we’ve done all over the world, he has motorcycled all over, we lived a life and nothing happened. Jumping into a normal swimming pool is what got him.”

As long as Syron was able to use his arms and organs, Holm said, his life wouldn’t be miserable.

To donate, go to givealittle.co.nz/cause/marcel-syron-medical-and-travel-home-fund.