Nicholas Tadros, the boy who survived the SeaWorld helicopter tragedy, has made a heartbreaking joke about having his right foot amputated.
Flanked by his father Simon Tadros and karate teacher Andrew Nasr, the plucky 10-year-old gave a televised interview two months after the tragedy claimed the lives of his mother Vanessa and three others.
The boy from western Sydney has been hospitalized since the helicopter he was in collided with another helicopter in mid-air before crashing into a sandbank in the Gold Coast on January 2.
He was in a coma and had about 30 surgeries. Among them was a harrowing five-hour operation to remove Nicholas’ badly damaged right leg from the knee down.
“I was a little nervous at first because I thought they were going to get a chainsaw and chop it off, from Bunnings Warehouse,” he told Allison Langdon of A Current Affair.
Flanked by his father Simon Tadros and karate teacher Andrew Nasr, the brave boy gave his first television interview two months after the traumatic helicopter crash
Mr. Tadros said he lost count of all the surgeries and procedures his son has undergone as he recounted the early stages when Nicholas was on a ventilator.
“Does that mean I was half dead?” Nicholas asked.
Despite being on the mend and eager to go home, the youngster admitted that a normal day in hospital, even 10 weeks after the crash, still involves waking up and vomiting.
But Nicholas told Langdon he was looking forward to a McDonald’s meal as his body slowly gets back on track.
“My kidney has woken up, yes, I eat Maccas for lunch,” he said.
“Mate, that’s great… everyone wants you to get better,” Langdon said.
“I want to get better too,” Nicholas replied.
Nicholas’ father Simon Tadros, who has been by his son’s bedside every day since the devastating crash, held his son’s hand during the emotional interview
Sea World crash survivor Nicholas Tadros (pictured left with his father Simon), 10, has had 30 surgeries, including one last month to have his right foot amputated
He waved to the cameras and gave them a brave smile and thumbs up as he thanked everyone for their overwhelming support and prayers.
“Thanks Australia, I’m better now,” he said.
Mr. Tadros told Langdon it was “priceless” to see his son smile and asked Nicholas if the boy would always be his right-hand man.
He revealed last month it had been a “daily struggle” to mourn his wife while lying by his son’s bedside in hospital, but said the least he could do was be there for Nicholas.
The grieving husband shared last month about the last moment he had with his wife Vanessa and Nicholas before the doomed plane took off.
The family had been to the Gold Coast for a well-deserved vacation.
“I gave them both a hug and a kiss and I said, ‘Enjoy it… have fun,'” he recalls.
Nicholas Tadros (pictured), 10, said he was good enough to have McDonald’s now that his kidneys had ‘awakened’ in a segment to air nationwide next week
The grieving husband shared last month about the last moment he had with his wife Vanessa and Nicholas (pictured) before the doomed plane took off
“I’ll see you when you get back down.”
The doting dad said he didn’t join the couple because of his fear of heights.
Minutes later, Mr. Tadros recalled hearing a ‘big bang’ and could only watch in horror as the plane collided with another helicopter in mid-air.
Mr. Tadros remembered the moment detectives informed him of the horror news.
“Those were the worst words I ever heard in my life,” he said.
‘I was terrified. I lost my wife. To lose my son too, that’s my whole life torn apart, that’s everyone gone.’
Nicholas was on the doomed joy flight that collided mid-air with another helicopter before crashing into a sandbar (pictured) in the Gold Coast on January 2
Mr Tadros said his son was ‘keeping up his spirits’ despite ‘still struggling every day’.
“He’s still trying to understand what really happened to him,” he said.
Mr Tadros had previously revealed the full extent of his son’s injuries.
“He broke almost everything from top to bottom, you know, his arms, his legs, his sternum, his hips, his thighs, his legs, his arms, ribs, lungs collapsed,” Mr. Tadros said.
“The only thing I don’t think he really broke was his right arm. How he survived is a miracle.’