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Trending North East Weather Tyne and Wear Metro Back to School Rafa Benitez Northumbria Police Sport TV News Food & Drink Property Home News North East News South Shields South Shields dad fighting for life in Singapore put on transplant waiting list as family bid to get him home 16:53, 15 Sep 2016 Updated 16:55, 15 Sep 2016 By Kathryn Riddell Almost £13,000 has been raised to help Luke Wilkinson, who could be flown to Newcastle's Freeman Hospital within days 47 shares Comments Luke Wilkinson with wife Di and sons Jude and Finn Luke Wilkinson with wife Di and sons Jude and Finn A critically ill dad fighting for his life in Singapore has been given fresh hope of survival - and could be flown home within days. Donations have poured in for doting father Luke Wilkinson, who is in need of a life-saving liver transplant. Luke, from South Shields, has been given just days to find a suitable donor after medication used to treat tropical infections caused his organ to fail. The 37-year-old expat needs to fly back to the UK for the transplant as he is unlikely to find a suitable donor match in Singapore. Now, almost £13,000 has been raised for Luke, who has been placed on a transplant waiting list at Newcastle’s Freeman Hospital. A total of 400 well-wishers have donated in just over 24 hours to help pay for an air ambulance to bring Luke back home. Luke Wilkinson who is in Singapore and needs to come back to the UK for a liver transplant with wife Di Luke Wilkinson who is in Singapore and needs to come back to the UK for a liver transplant with wife Di And a medi-vac flight has been arranged for Saturday to fly Luke to the North East. Family friend Erinn Yim, who set up a fundraising page with a target of £50,000, said: “Luke has been accepted into Freeman Hospital in Newcastle and he is now on the transplant list, this is a huge step closer. “Now it’s down to testing how fit he is to fly and when a flight and medical team can make it all happen for them. The money you have all donated so far will go a long way in helping them through this long process in so many ways.” The dad-of-two moved with his family, wife Di and sons Jude and Finn, to Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia two years ago but travels around Indonesia for work. During his travels, he picked up several tropical infections, but the strong medication he was given to combat the infections left him seriously ill. Luke met up with his family in Singapore for a weekend break, but collapsed on Sunday. He was taken to hospital diagnosed with acute liver failure, where he remains in a critical condition. Luke Wilkinson with wife Di and sons Jude and Finn Luke Wilkinson with wife Di and sons Jude and Finn Speaking from southern Malaysia, wife Di, 35, said Luke was usually fit and healthy and went to the gym every day. She added: “He’s been ill for about five months, it started with a parasite he picked up in Jakarta he got given medication for that. “It’s a Godsend that we were in Singapore because it has the best hospitals.” Erinn and husband Lewis have been friends with the Wilkinsons since they moved to Malaysia two years ago and are desperate to help the family. Lewis said: “Luke is a good friend of mine, he is a hard working dad of two young kids and supports his wife. “We want to get him back in the UK to get a transplant after medication caused his liver to fail. Unfortunately Luke’s condition has not improved.” He added: “At the moment he is in a critical care in a hospital in Singapore. He probably has three to four days maximum and he has to get back to the UK to find a suitable donor.” Both Di’s mum and Luke’s mum have travelled to Singapore to help look after children Jude, five, and Finn, three. “They don’t really understand. Jude is just asking why daddy fell down and thinks that’s why daddy’s in hospital,” Di said. To donate visit, the fundraising page at www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/LukeWilkinson


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