A BRITISH charity CEO who was left blind and paralysed after he was bitten by a poisonous snake in India while battling Covid-19 has returned to the UK. Father-of-two Ian Jones was rushed to intensive care after he was attacked by a king cobra in the northwestern city of Jodhpur. The 49-year-old, from Ryde, Isle of Wight, […]
A BRITISH charity CEO who was left blind and paralysed after he was bitten by a poisonous snake in India while battling Covid-19 has returned to the UK.
Father-of-two Ian Jones was rushed to intensive care after he was attacked by a king cobra in the northwestern city of Jodhpur.
The 49-year-old, from Ryde, Isle of Wight, returned home today but is still unable to walk or see.
His family said it was an “emotional and challenging time” for him and that he was trying to rest and “adjust” to his new circumstances.
A fundraiser for married Mr Jones, which had an initial goal of £8,000, raised almost £20,000 to help pay for medical bills and travel costs.
Mr Jones is a former healthcare worker and the CEO of Sabirian, a charity which provides training and support to around 70 craftspeople India with the goal of helping them to “trade their way out of poverty”.
He was bitten last month while relaxing at the charity’s base in Jodhpur, Rajasthan.
At the time, he was also battling his second bout of coronavirus, having already been infected once in March.
An update posted on the charity’s website today said: “We are delighted to report that after a long and stressful journey home, Ian is finally back in the UK with his family.
“He is quarantining for the next 14 days and will then hopefully be able to undergo some further treatment.”
The update said Mr Jones still has some paralysis in his legs and remains “completely blind”, and went on to thank all those who had donated to the fundraiser.
“The donations will help to pay for the medical bills already accumulated and the costs of getting Ian back to the UK,” it said.
“The family are very keen to provide an update and to express their personal thanks as soon as Ian feels able to do so.
“In the meantime, they have asked if people can bear with them for a little bit longer while he rests and recuperates.”
Mr Jones’s son, Seb, previously said that his father has already battled malaria and dengue fever but was determined to “stay in [India] to help the people that needed his support”.
King cobras are native to India and can grow to up to four metres in length.
They are highly venomous, particularly when agitated, and kill thousands of people in the country every year.
