Northern Ireland

£20,000 raised for Co Down man fighting flesh-eating disease

Ben Whiteside and his girlfriend, Anneka Shally with medical staff in Bangkok
Ben Whiteside and his girlfriend, Anneka Shally with medical staff in Bangkok Ben Whiteside and his girlfriend, Anneka Shally with medical staff in Bangkok

A MAN struck down by a rare flesh-eating disease, which almost cost him his leg while travelling around Asia, is set to return home this week after more than £20,000 was raised to help pay his medical bills.

Ben Whiteside (25), from Carryduff, Co Down, had just spent a month in China and moved on to Laos last month with his girlfriend, Anneka Shally (24), when he noticed a scratch on his leg had transformed into a swollen, infected wound in the space of just a few days.

His dream holiday turned into a nightmare when he was informed he had contracted necrotising fasciitis, a rapidly progressive and fatal bacteria. He was told, if left untreated, the bacteria could claim his life in a matter of days.

The hospital in Laos was not equipped to deal with the diagnosis, so Mr Whiteside was immediately airlifted to Bangkok where he underwent surgery, in an attempt to not only save his leg but his life.

With mounting hospital bills, Ms Shally, who is from Northampton, set up a GoFundMe fundraising page, with a target of raising £20,000.

After just three days, the target had been exceeded and has now been raised to £30,000. As of last night, a total of £21,927 has been raised. He is due to return home on Thursday.

Ms Shally said her boyfriend was lucky to be alive.

"If Ben didn't receive the surgery when he did, the bacteria would have taken his life within a couple of days," she said.

"I was terrified. It was completely a life or death situation and not having the treatment was not an option".

She said the reaction to the fundraising campaign had been amazing.

"I started this campaign to relieve Ben's family of some of the financial burden that this situation has inflicted on them but I never expected the GoFundMe page to take off like it has," she said.

"After two weeks of feeling incredibly helpless while watching him suffer so much, I'm delighted to be doing something that is helping to ease the pain that this dreadfully unlucky situation has inflicted".

Ms Shally said he was now recovering well following his surgery and is able to begin his journey home. Mr Whiteside is due to arrive in Heathrow tomorrow morning (THURS). He will then be flown by air ambulance to a hospital in Belfast.

"Ben has been remarkably strong throughout this whole ordeal," she said.

"Even after four visits to the operating theatre in Bangkok, he's kept his spirits up and his wit and sense of humour is still very much intact. Although bed-bound, Ben is now physically able to fly home and is responding well to antibiotics".

Anyone wishing to donate funds to help Ben Whiteside can do so by visiting www.gofundme.com/benwhiteside