The gay American author who was found badly beaten with severe head injuries in his Sligo flat on January 31st is to be flown home to the US tomorrow, writes Theresa Judge.
Mr Robert Drake (36) has been in Beaumont Hospital in Dublin since then. Two men charged in connection with the incident have been remanded on bail.
Mr Drake is to transferred to the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, where his partner, Mr Scott Pretorious, is a radiologist. The North Western Health Board and Mr Drake's health insurer are paying for the intensive air ambulance transfer, costing £12,000, while money raised at fundraising events in the US and Ireland will be used for his aftercare.
A spokesman for Mr Drake said he had "not regained significant consciousness" but his condition has improved. He is no longer on a ventilator.