The family of a critically-ill Commonwealth medallist who was seriously injured in a freak accident in Vietnam hope to bring her home within a week.
Judo star Stephanie Inglis remains in a serious condition in intensive care in a Hanoi hospital after being injured in a motorcycle accident.
Medics have managed to stop the bleeding in her brain and have brought a lung infection under control using antibiotics.
Yesterday the 27-year-old’s younger sister, Stacey, thanked all those who have donated online to help pay for Stephanie’s daily treatment costs. The fund as of last night stood at more than £178,000.
She said that doctors had initially told her parents that it would “cost too much to save” her sister – but once they were aware of the funding page and the money going into the account, it had been a “360 degree turnaround” in terms of their attitude.
Stacey, who spoke to her parents yesterday morning, added: “It’s still really every day my parents are going in and holding their breath and hoping for her to still be there. It really is a day-to-day struggle. But everything that’s been going on at home has been a huge support. It’s raised all of our spirits and we’ve been able to pull together and keep the positivity going.
“We are hoping that the fit-to-fly flag will fly so that by the end of the week we will be able to move her, but it depends on Steph and how she is after the week and if she stabilises. They are treating the lung infection by giving her antibiotics for a week and then they will re-assess.
“She may go to Bangkok but my parents want her to come directly home. The flight is plus 20 hours, so everything has to be thoroughly checked if it’s safe for her to come directly home. My parents would do anything to bring Steph home.”
Steph’s parents, Robert and Alison, flew from their home at Daviot near Inverness to be by their daughter’s bedside in Hanoi.
Mr Inglis previously said the family had been left “numb” by the massive show of support for her.
Stephanie won a silver medal in judo at the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.
She was spending time in Vietnam teaching English and was travelling on a motorcycle taxi to her school when her skirt became caught in a wheel and pulled her off the machine.
The fundraising appeal was launched by fellow judo star and friend Khalid Gehlan after it emerged that Stephanie’s travel insurance had run out. The appeal has attracted support from across the sporting world.