Popular Big Issue vendor seriously injured after being run over near his pitch
Vulusi Bolmadir was left in a coma and suffered a serious head injury in the incident and his daughter Lina has taken his place to raise money for the family
Big Issue vendor Vulusi Bolmadir had sold the magazine for more than 30 years until the incident took him off his pitch last November. Image: Supplied
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A veteran Big Issue vendor, who was one of the first to sell the magazine in London, has suffered life-changing injuries after being struck by a car just metres from his pitch.
Vulusi Bolmadir, known by his customers as George, was left in a coma for two weeks after he was hit while crossing the road near his pitch at Waitrose in Finchley, north London, on November 21 last year.
The 62 year old, who has sold the magazine for more than 30 years, suffering a serious head injury as well as a broken arm and leg and his daughter Lina, 37, has replaced him on his pitch to raise vital funds to support the family.
George’s loyal customers have also set up a fundraiser to help him and his family, raising more than £1,300 at the time of writing.
His daughter Lina said the incident has had a devastating effect on the Bolmadir family.
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“We waited a long time for his recovery but he was not the same person. He could not eat, he could not move,” said Lina.
“It’s not the same as before, his mind is different now, it’s like a baby’s mind.
“We have brought him home but he has a small room up two flights of stairs so it is very difficult for him. My mum is definitely not well either, she’s very traumatised and she’s taking care of him all the time.
Vulusi’s daughter Lina has replaced him on his pitch to raise much-needed money to support the family. Image: The Big Issue
“It’s very sad because he won’t be the same strong man there [on his pitch]. He used to be there for hours on his feet and now he cannot speak properly or remember things like before. It’s very hard.”
George underwent surgery at The Royal London Hospital in Whitechapel following the incident and he was later moved to Shenfield in Essex for further treatment before the family were able to move him home to London.
News of Vulusi Bolmadir’s condition has inspired the community to take action to support his family. Image: Supplied
The loss of George’s earnings and the financial toll of travelling to support him meant Lina had to replace her father on his pitch.
Returning to the scene of where her father suffered serious injury was a daunting prospect but the support of the local community and her father’s long-time customers has helped the family through the last four months.
“I could not even go to the hospital because my mum needed money and I had to take his place selling the magazine,” said Lina. “I was going crying and coming back crying when I was selling the magazine. I was too traumatised. It was very, very hard and still is.
“When they moved him outside London to Shenfield because my mother was going three hours by train there and back and if I did not go one day my mum would not be able to see him in hospital. She needed to go because he did not speak English and she needed to translate for the physios.
“A nice lady made a fundraiser for my dad. There are lots of nice people out there. They have helped me a lot. I’ve had to give my mum £1,000 for the rent so I’m thanking everyone for their support.
“I’ve been so surprised that so many people are asking about him every single day. People have been coming to me and crying about him and telling me he was such a nice man.”
Donations can be made here to support the Bolmadir family.
The Metropolitan Police has been contacted for comment.
When most people think about the Big Issue, they think of vendors selling the Big Issue magazines on the streets – and we are immensely proud of this. In 2022 alone, we worked with 10% more vendors and these vendors earned £3.76 million in collective income. There is much more to the work we do at the Big Issue Group, our mission is to create innovative solutions through enterprise to unlock opportunity for the 14million people in the UK living in poverty.
