The Catholic Leader - 12 November - Issue 5477

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The Catholic Leader, November 12, 2017
News
By Mark Bowling
FORMER kickboxing champion
Masoud Abdollah Pouri marked his
37th birthday recently – inside an
aged-care nursing home in Brisbane’s
northern suburbs.
The one-time member of Iran’s elite Thai kick-
boxing team has a hypoxic brain injury.
He cannot speak, is unable to move most of
his body, and is in the constant care of his mother
Fatemeh and younger brother Edris.
“We didn’t think he was going to make his
birthday, he is still recovering from a severe flu
infection,” his brother Edris, who is Masoud’s
legal guardian, said.
“Many of the elderly patients here got the flu
last month and some of them died.”
In May this year, The Catholic Leader told Ma-
soud’s story – how he “defected” to Australia 15
years ago, became an Australian citizen, studied
to become a paramedic, and pursued a profes-
sional career as a heavyweight kickboxer, known
in the ring as “the Iranian Tank”.
Four years ago Masoud was relaxing at home
after work when he suffered a massive stroke.
His mother and brother flew from northern
Iran to help, and since then they have kept a daily
vigil providing him with constant care, first in an
acquired brain injury unit, and then in long-term
residential care.
Doctors examined Masoud’s condition and
deemed that the former boxer requires full-time
care. He probably always will.
Masoud now lives in Gannet House, an
aged-care facility in Brighton where most of the
residents are twice his age. He is spoon fed by
Fatemeh who stays with him most days.
Remarkably, Masoud, who once spoke seven
languages, can still follow a conversation (in
English and Kurdish) and can respond by blinking
– once for “yes”, twice for “no”.
He smiles, and he cries.
Members of the St Joseph and St Anthony par-
ish, Bracken Ridge, have offered Masoud and his
family care, support and friendship.
“You come away feeling so enriched by their
courage,” Helen Hickey, the parish’s sacramental
co-ordinator and one of those lending a helping
hand, said.
“Fatemeh and Edris have a beautiful attitude
and their care for Masoud is amazing – their
devotion touches your heart.”
Edris, 33, an architect, has put his life on hold
to care for his older brother.
He is staying in Australia on a bridging visa
and was recently granted permission to work.
This has allowed him to start as an Uber driver,
working five hours a day so he can buy groceries
and pay the rent.
Both Fatemeh and Edris have applied to im-
migration authorities for carer visas that would
allow them to stay permanently.
So far, there has been no progress on that.
Injured Masoud fighting on
Familiy hope to
return to Iran
Family devotion: Masoud Abdollah Pouri, his brother Edris and mother Fatemeh. Masoud has major brain damage and is unable to move most of
his body. Photo: Mark Bowling
A mother’s love: Masoud Abdollah Pouri and his mother Fatemeh.
Neither mother nor son is willing to leave Aus-
tralia, because they risk losing their current visa
status. However they are hoping that the family’s
youngest son, Mansour, 30, who was recently
released from the Iranian military, may soon be
granted a visa to visit.
“He (Mansour) hasn’t seen Masoud in 14
years,” Edris said.
“I hope to pay for his ticket to come to Aus-
tralia.”
In the meantime, Edris has set up a Go Fund
Me campaign to try and raise enough money to
move Masoud out of aged-care to a house where
he can receive full-time family care.
“I hope you might be able to help because our
family have been through hell and back and are
broke with no financial support and we need help
for him, if it might be possible to do so,” Edris
wrote on the Go Fund Me website.
“If this would be possible, we would spend the
money on housing and providing the equipment
for Masouds care needs.”
Even though it has been a difficult decision to
make, the family would one day like to return to
Iran with Masoud. “We now believe it would ben-
efit all of us to take Masoud back home although
he will lose all medical and disability benefits
that Australian Government kindly provide to
all citizens in need, but the situation is no longer
sustainable for us,” he said.
Edris can be contacted on 0413 401447,
and donations made to -