Tourist left paralysed in final hours of Thailand holiday
Lee Francis has been told by doctors that he will never walk again.
The British tourist has been left paralysed from the waist down after suffering a tragic motorbike accident while holidaying in Thailand recently.
The 54-year-old ironically works as an occupational therapist to help disabled people live independent lives.
He travelled to Thailand with his wife Clare to visit their daughter Katie, who they hadn’t seen for five months. But hours before they were due to head home, tragedy struck.
On their final day of the holiday, Lee and Clare fell off a motorbike they were travelling on and collided with a metal road barrier.
Lee said his helmet cracked in two in the accident. He was taken to the Krabi Hospital in southern Thailand with broken ribs, serious lung contusions, and a fractured spine in three places. He battled haemothorax, pneumothorax, and a pulmonary embolism, and spent a week on a ventilator.
Lee, a former basketball player, was transported back to Wales on a stretcher flight and was admitted to the University Hospital of Wales in Cardiff.
His wife suffered less severe injuries and is coming to terms with the repercussions of the accident.
Their daughter Katie has also set up a GoFundMe page to help the family adapt to the new situation at home.
“He has dedicated 18 years of his professional life to assisting others in their recovery and rehabilitation as a community occupational therapist,” she wrote. “He never thought that he would be needing this support for himself, now being permanently paralysed.
“Despite the unimaginable obstacles he now faces, Lee's resilience and determination shine through.”
At the time of writing, the family has raised nearly half of their £30,000 ($58,000) target.
Jam Press
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