Natasha McShane Came to Chicago from Northern Ireland to Attend Grad School, but Now Cannot Walk, Talk, or Go to the Bathroom by Herself, Courtesy of

Two Racist, Hispanic Gangsters

Two years after attack, Bucktown beating victim cannot speak or walk
By Colleen Mastony
April 18, 2012
Chicago Tribune

Her world — once filled with possibility — has shrunk to the size of her parents' living room, where, in the afternoons, she sits in a chair by the window.

On a good day, she might point to what she wants or offer her parents a smile. But she cannot speak, dress herself or go to the bathroom without assistance. And so there are days when, her father says, "she just cries."

Then, her parents cradle her and whisper: "You're OK. You're OK."

Natasha McShane is back home in Northern Ireland. She is safe and protected and doted on by her loving parents. But she is not OK.

The last year has offered no respite from the surgeries and struggles that have plagued her since a brutal mugging in Bucktown, which occurred two years ago this coming Monday.

"You think she is going to get better, but it actually gets worse," said McShane's father, Liam, speaking by phone from the family's house in Siverbridge, County Armagh, and describing what his daughter's life is like now. "You think, 'In six months she'll be doing this or be doing that.' But the months pass and there is no progress."

Two years ago, Natasha McShane was an exuberant 23-year-old exchange student, working on her master's degree and out for a night to celebrate an internship that would allow her to extend her stay in Chicago.

She and a friend, Stacy Jurich, were walking home from a bar at 3:30 a.m. in the 1800 block of North Damen Avenue when, according to police, they were struck from behind by a bat-wielding mugger.

McShane, who stands less than 5 feet tall, took the brunt of the beating and was left bleeding and unconscious on the sidewalk. Hospitalized for months, she initially made small but steady steps toward recovery. In July 2010, when she left Chicago by air ambulance, she had begun to eat again, walk with assistance and speak a few words, family members say.

But, in Northern Ireland, a surgery to replace a section of her skull resulted in a serious infection. Then came a bout of seizures, followed by fluid building up around her brain. She regressed quickly, and soon, she could no longer walk or speak.

The last 12 months have been particularly difficult, family members say. In the summer, McShane underwent surgery to insert a metal plate in her head. And in October, doctors discovered her hip was broken; it may have been broken during the attack and later reinjured during a seizure, her father said. A hip replacement surgery led to yet another stay in the hospital, this one lasting two months.

"No speech, no walking, the hip broken, in the hospital and laid up on medication," said Liam McShane. "It's very hard to watch her like that."

In Chicago, police arrested Heriberto Viramontes, 33, a reputed gang member, who, according to prosecutors, had seen the two women as "easy targets." Marcy Cruz, 27, had driven him to the area, waited in a van and smoked a marijuana-stuffed cigar during the attack, according to prosecutors. Held at Cook County Jail, Viramontes and Cruz each face 25 felony counts, including attempted murder and armed robbery. No trial date has been set.

Back in Northern Ireland, Natasha McShane has just enough movement on her left side to hold a teacup. The only word that she can say is "shin," but no one knows what it means. "Shin could mean a hundred things," said Liam McShane.

He and his wife use flash cards to communicate with their daughter, who will sometimes point to what she wants. But the flashcards don't always provide answers. No one is sure if she remembers her old life or understands what has happened to her. "I'd love if she could talk or tell us," Liam McShane said.

And so, family members come to visit the young woman who can no longer speak. A sister styles her hair. An aunt paints her fingernails. A grandmother provides company and conversation. "There's not much you can do except spend time with her," said the grandmother, Bernadette McShane.

Family members say they can still see glimmers of the Natasha McShane they once knew. She still has an independent streak and likes to do things for herself. When a niece and nephew — both toddlers — come for a visit, McShane holds out her arm for a hug. "She was always a very affectionate person," Bernadette McShane said.

In September, the family celebrated Natasha's 25th birthday with cake and presents. "We sang happy birthday, and she enjoyed it. She smiled," Bernadette McShane said.

Months pass, and the possibility of a recovery slips away.

Still, the family refuses to give up hope.

"You have to have some hope that she will get better," said Liam McShane.

Because without hope, he said, "you wouldn't get through it."

cmastony@tribune.com
[Thanks to reader-researcher “W” for this story.

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