A young father whose life support was switched off after he was stabbed in the Riverina area of New South Wales has been identified as Shannon Royal.
Emergency services found the 28-year-old with a stab wound to his neck on Calimo Street in North Albury at about 1am on September 27.
He was treated at the scene with officers performing CPR before he was rushed to hospital in a critical condition.
Doctors determined he had suffered catastrophic brain damage and would not recover.
‘They told us it’s not good, and that he won’t wake up from all the damage that happened to his brain,’ Mr Royal’s sister Shantelle told 7News.
The family made the decision to keep him on life support for about a week before they said it was time to switch the machine off on October 4.
‘We all just prayed and still had as much hope as we could,’ Ms Royal said, adding that her family is facing challenges with processing the loss.
‘We all have nightmares. I dream about it most nights… I think Dad understood straight away when the police were informing them… But my mum refused to believe that.’
Young father-of-two Shannon Royal was stabbed and left with catastrophic brain injuries
The family has launched a GoFundMe to help cover Shannon’s funeral costs and bring him back to Riddells Creek, where he grew up, to be laid to rest.
‘There are no words to describe the heartbreak of losing someone we love so deeply, especially in such devastating circumstances,’ the fundraiser reads.
‘Shannon leaves behind two beautiful young children who should have had so many more years with their dad.
‘His life was taken far too soon, and the pain of knowing how much life he had left to live is something our family will carry forever.
‘We want to bring Shannon home to the place where he grew up, so he can be laid to rest surrounded by family, loved ones, and the place he once called home.’
Ms Royal said any money left over from the appeal would go towards supporting Shannon’s two children.
NSW Police established a crime scene at the address where Mr Royal was stabbed, with detectives and the homicide squad launching an investigation under Strike Force Metron.
In an appeal issued on October 10, police urged anyone who was in the area at the time, had relevant information or possessed CCTV, mobile phone or dashcam footage that could assist investigators to come forward.
His family made the devastating decision to turn off his life support machine. Shannon is pictured with his mother, Nicole
Ms Royal said her family desperately wanted answers and hoped those responsible would be held accountable for her brother’s death.
‘Nothing could ever compare to Shannon’s life,’ she said.
‘Even if they find the one who did it and they cop life in jail, that would still never compare to Shannon’s life.
‘But it will bring us a sense of closure… really the only relief we’re going to be able to get from this situation.’
She said finding the person responsible was also important to prevent another family from suffering the same tragedy.
‘We as a family would also hate for any other family to go through something like this,’ she said.
‘That’s a potential risk, too, while this person’s still out free. They could do this to someone else’s son, someone else’s brother or even father.’
