THE parents of Limerick toddler, Neil Shanahan, are keeping a bedside vigil at Temple Street Hospital as the little two-year-old fights for life after he fell from the top floor balcony of The Strand Hotel last Saturday.
Michael and Martina Shanahan are hoping and praying for Neil from Farranshone as the wider Limerick community rallies to support the family following the tragic event.
At around 1pm last Saturday, it is understood the toddler had been with his family who were attending a summer coffee morning organised by a local Residents Association when he wandered off.
The gathering was held on the ground floor of the hotel but it’s believed that little Neil made his way into a lift and managed to travel to the sixth floor where he climbed out onto a balcony and fell.
A frantic search was launched within seconds of his parents noticing he had gone missing.
However, the boy suffered multiple internal injuries and fractures as a result of the fall.
Eyewitnesses say that they saw the toddler hanging from the sign on the hotel’s riverside facade before plunging on to patio furniture six floors below and thus avoiding an impact with the concrete paving.
Neil was initially cared for at the scene by a doctor who happened to be in a nearby hair salon and was then taken to University Hospital Limerick.
Over the weekend, Neil was transferred to Temple Street hospital.
Gardai have described his condition as critical.
There has been an outpouring of support for the toddler and his family through social media channels from those who were in the area at the time as well as many others offering support as the tragic events unfolded.
