A Wrexham Glyndwr University lecturer has thrown his weight behind a campaign to raise funds for a medal-winning judo player battling for her life after a motorcycle crash in Vietnam
Stephanie Inglis, who won silver at Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games, is a family friend of David Potter, a programme leader and lecturer at North Wales Business School.
A passenger during the incident, she remains on a life support machine after suffering head injuries but has shown “small signs of improvement” in past days, according to friends.
David hopes people across the region will show their support for the 27-year-old from Inverness, a close friend of daughters Charlotte and Abigail.
Charlotte and Stephanie also trained in judo together for many years.
David said: “Stephanie is a talented young athlete who has been a close friend of my daughters for many years.
“This accident has been a terrible shock to her family and the wider judo community.
“It has left her in a critical condition on a life support machine with severe brain damage, without insurance support forthcoming as she has been in the country for an extensive length of time.”
He added: “I hope everyone at Wrexham Glyndŵr and anyone reading this is able to donate so they can bring her home to the UK. We are all praying she makes a recovery.”
Almost £200,000 has been collected via a gofundme web page towards a target of £250,000.
It is currently costing £2,000 a day to keep Stephanie alive and will take £125,000 to fly her home when she is stable.
Echoing David’s words, Abigail said: “I know Stephanie very well as I have done judo with her for many years and she is my sister’s best friend.
“She is a beautiful and intelligent girl who was out there teaching English to underprivileged children.
“She has her whole life ahead of her and is a genuinely lovely person who needs all the help she can get at this horrible time.”
The incident is reported to have happened when Stephanie’s skirt caught in the wheel of the motorbike. She was being taxied to a school in Ha Long, where she had been teaching for the past four months.
To donate, visit https://www.gofundme.com/23yq67t4
