By April Drew

Irish friends of Bronx resident Enda Corcoran, 25, who lost his left leg in a horrific motorcycle accident last August, will rally around this Sunday with a fundraiser for him in the Bronx.

Corcoran has been fitted for a prosthesis, but it doesn't come cheap. His friends have organized a fundraiser this Sunday in the Catalpa bar in Woodlawn to help Corcoran, who has no insurance, offset some of the $40,000 medical overheads being billed to him at the moment.

Corcoran, an auto-body mechanic by trade, was riding down the Major Deegan in the Bronx with a friend on his way to Home Depot, when he lost control of his bike and collided with a rail.

“I went through the rail and deep into the woods that were there and I was instantly knocked out,” recalls Corcoran.

His companion frantically searched for him in the woods, where he discovered his friend's personal belongings strewn over the wooded area and Corcoran's unconscious, badly injured body. He immediately alerted the emergency services, and Corcoran's first memory was waking up in the hospital with life threatening injuries.

When he woke up from his 12-hour surgery that may not have saved his leg but certainly saved his life, he was greeted by his good friends and cousin.

“I was in for more than two weeks, and the doctors were doing their level best to try and save the leg but with the serious infections they decided it was better to amputate it,” he recalled.

Corcoran naturally took the news badly but accepted the doctor's decision. “It was hard to hear and I wasn't too good about it at the time.” He spent a total of five weeks in hospital.

Corcoran will be attending a rehabilitation center as an outpatient after Christmas, and they will coach him on how to use the prosthetic leg. He is presently using crutches to get about but it is not an easy task. It prevents him from having the social life any other guy his age should be enjoying.

“I don't get out that much really, it's not easy. I definitely get down about it at times,” he said.

Although, Corcoran won't be able to attend the fundraiser, he is hopeful people will show up to support him on Sunday, December 10, at his local Catalpa on East 233rd street in the Bronx. There will be live music from 3 p.m. until late. Call Earl at 917-716-3395 or Paul at 914-433-5047.