Background
Ian Jones, from the Isle of Wight, is working in India setting up a charity enterprise called Sabirian, which is owned by Community Action Isle Of Wight. In the past he has contracted malaria and dengue fever. While in India, in Rajasthan, he contracted Covid-19 for the second time! He contracted the disease earlier in March. Because of the coronavirus pandemic he had been unable to travel home.
Bitten by a king cobra
And then to compound his illnesses he was bitten by a black king cobra which made him blind and partially paralysed. It is hoped that the blindness and paralysis will fade away. He is currently in an intensive care unit in the village in the Jodhpur, Rajasthan. The bite was potentially fatal.
The charity
The charity that Ian works for, Sabirian, endeavours to help people trade their way out of poverty by making furniture and handicrafts to sell to UK businesses.
Fundraiser
The charity has set up a fundraiser to help pay for Mr Jones’s medical costs and get him home to the UK for recovery subject to flight restrictions.
Fighter
Jones’s son Seb said that his father was a fighter and he was determined to stay in India despite his trials and tribulations with illness. He understands his father’s desire to provide support to the local people. Although he is naturally concerned and could hardly believe it when he was told that his father had suffered a snakebite on top of his existing Covid-19 illness.
He said that it was touch and go whether he survived. The bite made his Covid-19 symptoms worse. At the moment he is stable. Mr Jones’s colleagues have rallied around and helped him but Community Action Isle Of Wight CEO Mike Bulpitt said that he had a long road to recovery. He needs to focus on his battle to recovery before he can go back to doing the work he loves.
