Fundraising is underway to support a Dapto mum who has been permanently blinded in one eye after an alleged altercation at a child's birthday party spiralled out of control.
Carissa Edwards alleges she was coward punched by a man at Integral Energy Park at Kembla Grange on Sunday, September 17, while celebrating her niece's birthday.
A dispute had allegedly erupted between Ms Edwards and an unknown woman who was attending a baby shower at the other end of the park.
Tendered court documents state Ms Edwards exchanged words with the woman, before the man ran at Ms Edwards from the picnic area and swung a closed fist punch to her left eye.
The force of the alleged blow caused Ms Edwards to be knocked off her feet and fall to the ground, where she lay unconscious for several minutes.
Doctors later diagnosed her with a bleed to the back of her left retina, which required surgery on September 25.
Police have charged Berkeley man Ian Palamara, 32, with affray and reckless wounding. He has not entered any pleas but at an initial court appearance on October 31 his lawyer, Graeme Morrison, told the court "absolutely all of the aggression fell on the other party" at the playground that day.
According to a gofundme campaign organised by a friend, Larissa Palamara, Ms Edwards had been left to endure "a slow and expensive" recovery process.
"Currently Carissa and her children are learning to live with the new normal that has left her blind in her left eye and constantly in need of travelling to Sydney, leaving her children home while she receives ongoing medical treatment," Ms Palamara wrote, in a campaign initiated on October 23.
Ms Edwards underwent another surgical procedure on Wednesday, November 15 to removed dead tissue and "muscle that was leaking from my eye", requiring nine stitches.
She told supporters she would need another three major surgeries, but that the efforts of doctors were now for aesthetic purposes only, because her iris was "detached and floating in my eye ... completely damaged".
She said she would need her iris surgically removed and a prosthetic lens fitted at future operations.
"This will not improve my sight. It is for aesthetic purposes, to look as normal as possible," she said.
"This is a lifelong injury that requires weekly appointments with specialist and trauma teams within Sydney Eye Hospital.
"It's taking a toll on myself mentally and physically and having to be out of pocket for all my medical costs."
The fundraising continues at https://www.gofundme.com/f/kindness-for-carissa-after-life-changing-assault.
Angela Thompson
Proudly Illawarra Mercury since 2008; these days covering crime and justice issues. UOW alum. Thrilled by the chase and sobered by some of the things I see and hear when I stand still - sometimes in the same day. ang.thompson@austcommunitymedia.com.au
Proudly Illawarra Mercury since 2008; these days covering crime and justice issues. UOW alum. Thrilled by the chase and sobered by some of the things I see and hear when I stand still - sometimes in the same day. ang.thompson@austcommunitymedia.com.au
