Mount Gambier father Dali Lee suffers a brain injury from bashing after trying to help a man threatening suicide
An Australian father-of-five who made a miraculous recovery from “unimaginable” injuries after a cowardly punch when he went to help a man trying to commit suicide is homeless.
Dali Lee suffered a skull fracture and brain injuries on August 19 after responding to the screams of a man threatening to jump into a notorious 30-metre cavern in Mount Gambier, South Australia.
Mr Lee, whose best friend committed suicide in 2022, was then brutally attacked for unknown reasons by a group of people in the city’s cave gardens.
Danielle Malseed described her partner Dali Lee (pictured in intensive care), who suffered a brain injury after helping a man who was threatening to commit suicide, as ‘the strongest man I know’
The extent of Mr Lee’s injuries is “unimaginable”, Ms Malseed said, adding that he faces an “uphill battle”. Pictured: Dali Lee with Danielle Malseed and one of their five children
Mr Lee suffered a fractured skull and brain injuries on August 19 after responding to the screams of a man threatening to jump into a notorious 100-foot cave in Mount Gambier. Pictured: Cave Garden, Mount Gambier
“Some people then came up to him, shouted at him and then attacked him,” his partner Danielle Malseed said The advertiser.
He remembered waking up face down, struggling for breath. He managed to walk 500 meters before collapsing again.
Mr Lee was found covered in blood in the Globe Hotel car park and was rushed to hospital.
He suffered “several brain haemorrhages and a skull fracture that left him in a coma in intensive care… (unable) to breathe on his own,” Ms Malseed wrote on a fundraising page created to help the struggling family afford a house as his medical bills mount.
Ms Malseed described Mr Lee as “the strongest man I know”.
“Doctors told us that most people do not survive injuries as severe as Dali’s,” she wrote.
“Yet every time he opened his eyes he expressed his desire to return home to his beloved children.”
Despite his bravery, Mr Lee has had to give up his former job as a chef and now spends most of his day resting from severe headaches or recuperating.
“The extent of Dali’s injuries is unimaginable,” Ms Malseed wrote, adding that he faces “an uphill battle”.
He suffers from memory loss, faces severe sensitivity to light and sound, cannot concentrate on more than one person talking and is weak on the left side of his body.
The family of seven, who had been homeless on and off for three years before the attack, are staying with Mr Lee’s family.
Mr. Lee can no longer work and being homeless means he has no room to sleep in while he tries to recover from a brain injury
Despite needing a room to rest, he doesn’t have one.
“He needs to sleep a lot and without a bedroom that’s not really possible,” Ms Malseed said. ‘And we’ve tried staying in Airbnbs in between to give him some space, but we can’t really afford that anymore.
“This devastating incident has had a profound impact on our family of seven and the many others who love Dali. We humbly seek your support and generosity to help us navigate this challenging journey ahead.”
The GoFundMe The page she created has raised $4,732 so far, toward a goal of $6,000.
Mr Lee’s alleged assault is being investigated by police.