Fermanagh biker Lee Johnston is on the road to recovery having been seriously injured during a practice for the North West 200.
Johnston received a blood transfusion on a golf course near the circuit before being airlifted to the Royal Victoria Hospital in Belfast following a crash last Thursday (May 11) afternoon.
He broke multiple bones in the crash and was admitted into intensive care.
The 34-year-old came off at the Church Corner section of the circuit during a qualifying session for the Supersport class on Thursday afternoon.
He was taken by the Northern Ireland Ambulance Service (NIAS) along the track to York Corner, where he was then transferred by the Northern Ireland Air Ambulance to the Royal Victoria Hospital for treatment for “non-critical injuries”, it was reported by the BBC at the time.
Speaking earlier this week on Tuesday, a spokesperson for Lee’s team said: “As people are aware, Lee crashed Thursday in the super-sport practice.
“He was airlifted to Belfast hospital [Royal Victoria Hospital] in a critical condition after having a blood transfusion on the golf course.
“It’s been a rollercoaster of a week, with Lee being in intensive care since Thursday, three days on a ventilator, eight hours in surgery.”
Detailing Lee’s injuries, the spokesperson said: “We are pleased to announce after suffering a broken femur, shoulder, break in the foot and face, a number of broken ribs and a collapsed lung, Lee is on the slow road to recovery.
“Lee was in a critical condition when he arrived at the hospital; family and team were not informed of how bad of a condition he was in until the hospital staff explained the condition.”
Praising the medical staff who took care of the Fermanagh biker, the spokesperson said: “We would like to say a huge thank-you to every member of staff that has worked on Lee.
“From [the] surgeons, [to the] doctors, [to the] nurses, we are very grateful for the treatment and care he has received. A huge thank-you to the medical team that worked with Lee to keep him alive on the way to the hospital.”
The spokesperson added: “The amount of support from people has been incredible and none of it has been unnoticed.”
Asking for privacy as Lee continues his journey to full recovery, the spokesperson said: “It’s going to be a slow and hard recovery, but he will be back better then ever.
“He’s got a long journey ahead of him. We would be grateful if you could respect his privacy while he’s recovering.”
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