IT WAS IN April that Christine Agberhiere took the kind of phonecall that rips up whatever life roadmap you have; the bracing news that gives the present a frighteningly sharp focus and taints every bit of the future with uncertainty.
When she got to A&E at Waterford University Hospital, the receptionist responded blankly to the name of her son. Reeling, she briefly thought it was some kind of grotesque prank until she caught the eye of Gardaí down the hall.
They led her into the room where her son was recovering, where all of that frantic, antic energy of alarm short-circuited.
“Initially I thought it was some small incident, but when I got there and I saw him…my heart was broken. I couldn’t believe it. When I got there, it was like the electricity went off.
“I went blank.”
Tega hadn’t been hurt playing football, as she initially thought. Instead, he and two of his friends were victims of a callous attack on a Waterford housing estate. They were approached by thugs carrying golf clubs and drain cleaning fluid, the latter of which they splashed at Tega and his friends.
Padraig Sullivan’s legs were burned, while Oisin Daly suffered third-degree burns to his back. Tega, meanwhile, suffered horrific burns around his eyes and to other parts of his face.
Tega is a talented footballer, and has represented Ireland at U17 level. Mick McCarthy was among those to send good wishes amid the spasms of the initial public outrage, while Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang sent him a signed photo.
Leo Varadkar spoke out too, saying “it’s the kind of thing you hear about happening in other countries. I don’t recall it happening any time in Ireland any time recently.”
As the national outrage moved on, Tega had to get busy recovering. He is home now and has happily returned to playing football, but his daily life has been upended and he travels between hospitals in Cork and Waterford for regular check-ups.
His eyes are cared for in Waterford; his skin is tended to in Cork. He takes eye drops and applies cream to his scars on a daily basis. While the treatment is regular, the worry is endless.
“Every second, every moment, this thought is going on in my life”, Christine tells The42.
“These are scars for life. Not only for him, but for the other lads too.”
There is doubt as to whether Tega’s sight will ever return to what it was before the attack.
“I don’t really know. The last time we went to the hospital, they said he was very lucky that [the acid] didn’t get into the inner part of the eye.
“I don’t think it will be 100%, I don’t really know. I am not a specialist, but the treatment is still ongoing.
“We have been following the medical instructions, so we hope for the best. I hope that he gets 100% better with his skin and his eye, but we leave that to God for now.”
The healing process isn’t helped by the lingering anger. Earlier this month the parents of the injured teenagers were informed that two of the alleged perpetrators will not be charged, and have instead been handed juvenile cautions.
“It’s unbelievable because of the gravity of the incident and what the lads went through”, says Christine. “Liquid was poured on them. It wasn’t just water. And it has given them scars, they were not born with such scars.
“For them to come up with this kind of decision is really unbelievable.
“I am very angry and I am still shocked. I am in a limbo: I can’t believe it is happening…but it is happening.
“We are really upset with the decision. We are not accepting the decision, and we want justice for the boys.
“I am fighting the decision. I am going to fight it. I will appeal to the Minister for Justice and I will appeal to the Taoiseach. You can’t allow someone to do that and allow the person to walk away for free, it is very, very unfair.”
There is still plenty of support for Tega and Christine, which she greatly appreciates.
“He is very brave, and he takes it moment by moment. He is not allowing the whole incident to weigh him down, he is strong. Families and friends have kept him going.
“He is still getting support from football, and from all over Waterford and Ireland. And even since the decision. I can see a lot of people are angry and see a lot of comments, and I really appreciate the support as that is what is giving us the strength to carry on our daily lives.”
A GoFundMe page has been set-up to contribute to Tega’s recovery.
