15 November 2023 , 18:11
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The daughter of Grand National-winning jockey Graham Lee has spoken of her overwhelming gratitude for the support her father has received from the public.
Group 1-winning rider Lee suffered an unstable cervical fracture which caused damage to his spinal cord when he was unseated from a horse at the start of a race at Newcastle on Friday.
He underwent surgery at the Royal Victoria Infirmary Hospital in Newcastle on Tuesday to stabilise the fractures and further protect his spinal cord while a tracheostomy was performed to make him more comfortable and improve communication.
Amy Lee has organised a JustGiving page which has so far raised more than £85,000 for the Injured Jockeys Fund which is supporting the Lee family.
She said in a statement: “‘I am personally writing down each and every message and donation that comes through and I share all of these with dad.
Baby boy has spent his life in hospital as doctors are 'scared' to discharge him
“To be honest it’s simply overwhelming and we can’t believe that so many people are thinking of us. I wish I could explain how much of a difference it will make to dad’s recovery knowing that he has your support – thank you from the bottom of my heart’.”
Lee has been intensive care in hospital since his fall with updates on his condition being shared by the IJF.
Graham Lee on Grand National winner Amberleigh House (Getty Images)In the latest bulletin the riders’ charity said: “Jockey Graham Lee had surgery yesterday at the Royal Victoria Infirmary Hospital in Newcastle to stabilise the fractures in his cervical spine and further protect his spinal cord.
“He also had a tracheostomy performed to allow him to be more comfortable and improve communication. Whilst Graham has recovered from the surgery well, the extent of his long-term recovery remains uncertain.”
The statement added: “Graham’s family would like to thank everyone for their best wishes and for their support of the JustGiving page set up by Graham’s 18-year-old daughter Amy.”