Wife keeps a bedside vigil after her husband was injured while tree lopping near Mackay Queensland

A devoted woman has held an unrelenting vigil for her husband who nearly died after he fell twenty to seven feet in a horrific tree-cutting accident.

John Betteridge was lending a hand to a partner in Alligator Creek, south of Mackay, Queensland, last month when a cherry picker he was riding in overturned and knocked him to the ground.

His wife of 12 years Cid has remained by his side at Townsville Hospital as he slowly recovers and although he awoke from a coma he still struggles to recognize her and his family.

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

He also had brain bruises and fractured his eye sockets – while having to undergo surgery on his gut which was punctured several times.

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, he was just unrecognizable,” Ms Betteridge said News Corp.

“When I saw him I was just in shock, I didn’t think about it, it was just heartbreaking.”

Mr. Betteridge was six to seven feet in the air on a cherry picker when it became unbalanced on May 5 on his friend’s property.

He jumped out of the box or was flung into the air when the vehicle overturned – narrowly missing cattle grates and steel steps as he fell to the ground.

His stepdaughter Elina Garyfallidis who has a GoFundMe page to help with the couple’s bills and expenses during this time, said he must have had angels looking after him.

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

Mr. Betteridge was in ICU for weeks after being flown to Townsville Hospital in a coma and later had trouble recognizing his family.

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

Mr Betteridge has undergone grueling medical treatment, including draining fluids and inflating his lungs through 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 the brain and stuck a nail in his thigh to pin it back down.

A plate was inserted into his elbow to connect the bone fragments as well.

One of his hands had regained mobility, but then he began to experience gas buildup as his brain tried to connect to his muscles.

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

She said it breaks her heart that she can’t do more but has stayed by his side to do what she can – including wiping his forehead and washing his hair while the nurses bathed him.

The mother said he is “not around” most of the time and just stares 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 terrible accident.

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

Mrs Betteridge (pictured, with John) said he’s ‘not around’ most of the time and just stares off into space, but added that her husband was ‘a fighter, a hard worker, a healer’.

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

Ms. Garyfallidis said her stepfather is generous and loving and would always go out of his way 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 will be 108!’ she said.

The GoFundMe page has surpassed its original goal of $15,000 and had reached $25,406 by Saturday.

Ms Betteridge said she was ‘so deeply touched by everyone’s generosity’.

“I don’t know what expenses await us in the coming months or years or what the road will be for us – but this GoFundMe money will certainly help us on John’s road to recovery.”