An Aberdeenshire man is preparing for a tonsorial transformation to raise funds for a Commonwealth star who has been involved in a motorcycle accident.
Robert MacDonald, 67, will shave his head on Wednesday evening in an attempt to raise £1000 to assist the treatment of Highland judo star Stephanie Inglis.
The Commonwealth silver medallist remains in a serious condition in intensive care in hospital in Vietnam.
The 27-year-old – who was teaching English in the country – was injured in a freak motorcycle accident last Tuesday.
Mr MacDonald from Mintlaw said: “My son, Morgan, is into judo, we travel four times a week to [the] Inverurie [club] and I have met Stephanie on a couple of occasions.
“Last year, he was up in Inverness competing at a Highland tournament and Stephanie was presenting the medals.
“Being involved with judo is like a big family; everybody looks after everybody else.
“The fact is that the accident happened so far away, so if I can do something to help, I will. So much money has already been raised and it’s everyone doing their bit no matter how small.”
A fundraising campaign has been set up by fellow judo athlete Khalid Gehlan to help pay for Ms Inglis’ medical care which is believed to be costing around £2,000 per day.
Mr MacDonald added: “When I heard about Stephanie, I was totally shocked. I heard about it in the middle of the night and I couldn’t really sleep after that.
“So, in the morning, I woke my wife up and said I wanted to shave my head.
“To quote Stephanie’s father, when it first happened, he said ‘we’re alone out here’ and now I know they have seen and felt the immense amount of support for Stephanie.
“They are surrounded by people from all over the world and I hope this is of some comfort to them at this time.”
Mr MacDonald will be having his head shaven at the Garioch Sports centre at 7pm on Wednesday, May 18.
To donate, visit Help Save Stephanie Inglis at:
https://www.gofundme.com/23yq67t4
.
Mr MacDonald has asked that those donating towards him shaving his head include this in the comment section, so he is able to track how much he raises.