A Canadian man who was viciously assaulted by two teens in Australia has come through surgery and has spoken to his mother from his hospital bed in Sydney.
"Everything went well with the operation. He sends his thanks to everyone for their concern," Shellan Proden said of her son, Heath Proden, from her home in Winnipeg Beach, Man., on Thursday.
Doctors in Australia operated to relieve swelling near his brain after Proden, who uses a wheelchair, was severely beaten following a concert in Sydney.
Proden, 35, had been waiting for a train when he was harassed by two teenagers, punched in the face and knocked from his wheelchair.
The incident was caught on a surveillance video, which has made its rounds on the Internet, drawing an outpouring of support for the victim.
The video shows the teens stomping on Heath and hitting him with a metal bar they pried from his wheelchair. They run off, only to return and beat him again.
"He finished his operation at 10:30 our time Wednesday night," said his mother.
"He was just out of recovery" when they talked, and sounded chipper, she said. Her son was aware of the international media coverage he's received, and all the people pulling for his recovery, she said.
Proden, who has used a wheelchair since a snowmobile accident 10 years ago, was visiting his girlfriend, Kristin Sharrock, in Australia.
His mother said she's thinking about heading to Australia to be them.
"We're going to see how he does after the surgery before I make any decision, " she said. "This has really touched people, I think. People have been really sympathetic. There is a generous offer from a person in Calgary."
Two teens, 15 and 16, have been arrested and charged with causing grievous bodily harm with intent, as well as with robbery armed with an offensive weapon causing wounding. The youths were denied bail.
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