A young island man is being treated in a Thai hospital after suffering a potentially fatal brain aneurysm.
Owen Auskerry’s family have flown from their Orkney home to be at his bedside as he recovers from lifesaving surgery.
And they have praised the generosity of hundreds of people who have donated more than £24,000 to help pay the 24-year-old medical bills and ultimately bring him home to the UK.
Mr Auskerry, who has been working as a teacher in Thailand, began to suffer severe headaches followed by seizures and vomiting.
His girlfriend Janjira called an ambulance and when he arrived at hospital doctors discovered a blood vessel in his brain had burst.
His family have arranged for him to be airlifted from his home in Nakhon Si Thammarat to hospital in the Thai capital Bangkok 380 miles away.
Mr Auskerry’s parents, Teresa Probert and Simon Brogan, flew from the UK to Thailand to be by his side, while brothers Rory and Hamish Auskerry joined them later.
He underwent a three-hour operation led by one of Thailand’s leading neurosurgeons.
Since then Mr Auskerry has largely been under sedation, although he has started to regain consciousness and has managed to say a few words to his parents.
He is suffering from a fever and has undergone a scan to study the condition of his veins and arteries following the operation.
Yesterday, a catheter which had been in place since the operation to drain excess fluid was removed from his skull.
In the meantime the family has set up an online appeal to help support his recovery – raising more than £24,000 as of last night.
They have thanked the public for their support – and the medical staff in Thailand for saving his life.
In a statement, they said: “We have been absolutely overwhelmed by the level of support shown to our family over the last few days.
“The amount of love and kind messages that have been sent to all of us has been a very welcome boost to our morale, and the generosity of folk from all over the world who have donated to the Owen Auskerry Recovery Fund has been humbling.
“The money will go towards paying for Owen’s surgery, medical bills and other costs associated with his ongoing care, as well as allowing our family to be there to look after him as he starts to wake up and begin to comprehend what’s happened to him. As a family we are all profoundly grateful for every penny we’ve received”.
They added: “His girlfriend Janjira’s quick decision to get him to hospital, the skill of the neurosurgeon and the general excellence of the medical team have ultimately saved our dear Owen’s life.
“We hope to bring Owen home as soon as is safe and practical. As far as Owen’s day-to-day condition is concerned, we are posting updates at www.togetherforowen.com as often as we can and there’s a link to the donation page there too.”
As well as working as a teacher, Mr Auskerry has also spent his time in Thailand DJing under the pseudonym “MetraGnome”.
The family are the sole residents of the tiny Orkney island of Auskerry three miles south of Stronsay, with the brothers having taken the name of the island.
Mr Brogan and Ms Probert run a wool business taken from the island’s native flock of North Ronaldsay sheep.