Family ‘overwhelmed’ as thousands raised to bring gay junior doctor home to UK after accident
By Will Stroude
Family of a junior doctor left critically injured when he was hit by a lorry in Las Vegas say they are “overwhelmed” after a public appeal to bring him home raised almost £150,000 in just three days.
Dr Sebastian Kola-Bankole, from Camden, had flown to the city to attend a friend’s wedding before the accident outside a hotel on 15 February. He is currently in a medically-induced coma in a Las Vegas hospital, where he has undergone emergency operations on his ears, arteries and spine, and is described as being in a critical but stable condition.
After friends and family failed to find any record that the 35-year-old NHS doctor, who has also worked as a staffer for HIV charity Terrence Higgins Trust, had taken out travel insurance before his trip, they began to worry about how to pay for the rapidly mounting cost of his care.
Seb Kola-Bankole (l) served as best man at the wedding of the campaign’s founder, Alexander Ademokun.
With the support of Seb’s family, his best friend Alexander Ademokun decided to turn to the public for for help, setting up a GoFundMe page to help raise funds for the treatment repatriation of the man who served as best man at his wedding, and is godfather to his children.
The campaign has quickly captured the mind of the public, who have collectively raised over £147,000 for Seb’s medical care the in just three days.
Sebastian Kola-Bankole is a Tavern regular. Please RT & support if you can. https://t.co/9w0pnjW3wT #bringbackseb pic.twitter.com/vtoie21huR
— Vauxhall_Tavern (@thervt) February 21, 2016
Sebby out raising money for GOSH. Sadly we need to raise it for him. We’re getting there, keep going!#bringbackseb pic.twitter.com/rWnkIvVpLn
— Pav Sarai (@pavsarai) February 21, 2016
My best mate Seb with me baby daughter who misses her uncle Sebby #bringbackseb pic.twitter.com/EV5Ily83TN
— Pav Sarai (@pavsarai) February 21, 2016
One of my besties – a volunteer for Crisis, NHS Doc, former THT staffer. Donate if you’re able #bringbackseb https://t.co/9tQxVArRDg
— Will Nutland (@DrWillN) February 21, 2016
In an update on the campaign’s fundraising page, Seb’s friends and family wrote: “We are overwhelmed by your generosity and can’t wait to tell Seb how you’ve all pulled together to help get him back home.”
“Thank you all for your donations, comments and suggestions. We continue to do all we can to trace any possibility of his insurance and will contact the ombudsman tomorrow.”
“We are also discussing with consultants who can take him on in the UK and hopefully should have a plan in place soon ready for whenever he is medically able to be transferred.”
The collision that caused Seb’s injuries is currently being investigated by police.
To donate to the campaign visit Seb’s GoFundMe page.
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