Young, fit and career driven, Dara McKay-Firth was excited to be expanding his work skills on the construction site in Australia.
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Having arrived from Ireland on a working holiday visa 11 years ago with his then-partner and his two children, life was looking good.
But the Wolli Creek dad is now without a job and without his kids, who had to return home while he stays in Sydney to find out if his workplace injury claim will be resolved.
The 34-year-old has worked in construction for most of his life. He was 29 when he damaged three discs in his back while doing heavy demolition work in Sydney's CBD. He has had four surgeries, and the financial strain meant his family had to return to Ireland.
"Stuff like this happens to a lot of people - maybe not as young as me. I can never return to work and what I was doing before. My back is so far gone and I walk with an uncomfortable limp," he said. "I can only lift one kilo and can't twist, pull or bend.
"It's hard being away from my kids - they miss me but we speak daily. They are 3 and 1 - I haven't seen them since June. I'm missing so many milestones in their lives. I've got no time frame as to how long I will need to be here."
He is receiving WorkCover payments from his insurance company to stay afloat. He said he was offered a role from SafeWork NSW as a traffic controller, but could not manage it because of his condition.
The father also decided to seek legal advice from a personal injury lawyer to help pay his medical costs and protect his future while managing a long-term injury. His lawyer at Slater & Gordon, Samantha Ryan, said the case would be proceeding to mediation and the firm would be examining a potential negligence claim against the employer.
"What Dara has gone through is really terrible. He's had a very serious work injury and for someone who has for his whole life done labouring, looking at a future of never being able to perform that work again has had a profound impact on him. It's ultimately torn his family apart," she said. "People in these industries are working in dangerous areas and that's why we see a lot of these injuries."
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