Woman keeps bedside vigil after her husband was injured while felling trees near Mackay Queensland

A dedicated wife has kept a tireless vigil for her husband, who nearly died after falling twenty feet in a horrific tree-felling accident.

Last month, John Betteridge was helping a mate at Alligator Creek south of Mackay in Queensland when a boom lift he was on overturned, throwing him to the ground.

His wife Cid, to whom he has been married for 12 years, remains by his side at Townsville Hospital as he slowly recovers, and although he awakens from his coma he still has a hard time recognizing her and his family.

The man suffered horrific injuries from the fall, including collapsed lungs, broken ribs, jaw, nose, arm, elbow and femur.

He also suffered bruising to the brain and a ruptured eye socket – while his intestines, which were punctured multiple times, required surgery.

John Betteridge (pictured with his wife Cid) was helping a pal at Alligator Creek south of Mackay in Queensland last month when he was in the horrific accident

The “generous and loving” man suffered horrific injuries from the fall, including collapsed lungs and broken ribs, jaw, nose, arm, elbow and femur (pictured: Mr Betteridge in hospital).

“He had blood all over him, he was just unrecognizable,” Ms Betteridge said news corp.

“When I saw him I was just shocked, I had no thought, it was just heartbreaking.”

Mr Betteridge was six to seven meters in the air on an aerial work platform when it fell off balance on his friend’s property on May 5.

He either jumped out of the bucket or was thrown into the air as the vehicle overturned – and narrowly missed cattle gates and steel steps as he fell to the ground.

His stepdaughter Elina Garyfallidis who started one GoFundMe The site that helped the couple with their bills and expenses during this time said he must have had angels watching over him.

“He went into cardiac arrest when the ambulance arrived!” she said on the crowdfunding page.

Mr Betteridge lay in intensive care for weeks after being flown to Townsville Hospital in a coma and later struggling to recognize his family.

His wife said, “35 days later, he still has no idea who we are, but he’s come out of his coma … he has brain damage called diffuse axonal injury.”

Mr Betteridge had to undergo serious medical treatment which included draining fluids, having his lungs inflated via tubes and cutting a hole in his throat to help him breathe.

Doctors also drilled a hole in his skull to measure the swelling in his brain and drove a nail into his femur to pin it back together.

A plate was also placed in his elbow to connect the bone fragments.

One of his hands had regained mobility, but then bloated as his brain tried to connect to his muscles.

Ms Betteridge said her husband’s brain needed to heal before all other parts could get better – adding that he was in constant pain.

She said it was heartbreaking that she couldn’t do more, but she stayed by his side and did what she could – including wiping his forehead and washing his hair while the nurses bathed him.

The mother said most of the time he was “not there” and just stared into space, but added that her husband was “a fighter, a hard worker, a healer”.

She has been praying and hoping that he will “come back” and is thankful that he survived such a horrific accident.

He has recognized his wife once since the accident, when he was taken outside – where he puckered to kiss her.

Ms Betteridge (pictured with John) said he was “not there” most of the time and just stared into space, but added her husband was “a fighter, a hard worker, a healer”.

Other family members have visited him in the hospital, including his parents Rob and Barb, who have given him foot massages and told jokes.

Ms Garyfallidis said her stepfather was generous and loving and would always do anything to help others.

“John is responding well to treatment so far and is fighting hard.” It’s not his time yet; He always says he’ll be 108 years old!’ She said.

The GoFundMe page surpassed its original goal of $15,000, reaching $25,406 on Saturday.

Ms Betteridge said she was “deeply touched by everyone’s generosity”.

“I don’t know what expenses we have ahead of us over the next few months or years or what the road ahead will be – but this GoFundMe money will certainly help us on John’s road to recovery.”