Netizens pour in support for British man who survived cobra bite after COVID, Malaria

A British charity worker in India has survived coronavirus, dengue, malaria and now he is recovering after a potentially deadly Cobra bite in Rajasthan. According to BBC, Ian Jones from the Isle of Wight was bitten by a cobra in Jodhpur district of the desert state and he was admitted to a hospital, which is about 350 kilometres from the capital Jaipur. He has been blinded and paralysed by the snakebite, however, he was discharged earlier this week. 

Netizens pour in support for Ian Jones

Ever since the news of Jones being bit by a cobra broke, several internet users took to Twitter to share his story and help raise funds. While one user shared the GoFundMe page, another wrote that Jones “had the worst 2020 ever”. One user jokingly also said that Jones’ anti-bodies “must be worth their weight in diamonds”. 

While speaking to the media outlet, his family said that he was “very frightened” by his condition although they hoped his blindness and leg paralysis was only temporarily. Jones was running a charity-backed social enterprise aimed at helping craftspeople trade their way out of poverty. Claire Robertson from Community Action of Isle of Wight said that the former healthcare worker was temporarily living in the social enterprise’s warehouse in Jodhpur. 

READ: UK Mother Stunned To Realise She Gave Birth To Twins While In COVID-19 Coma

Robertson informed that Jones was in an area of the warehouse that he had made his living quarters when his adopted dog, Rocky, started barking. She added that when Jones reached out to soothe him, the cobra, alerted by his movement, bit him twice. Jones’ family further informed that he had spent nearly two weeks in intensive care, but had left the hospital due to the high number of COVID patients in the region. 

READ: Madhya Pradesh Authorities 'deploy' Yamraj And Chitragupt To Reinforce COVID-19 Norms

Fundraiser for Ian Jones 

Meanwhile, the Community Action Isle of Wight has raised over £12,000 on a fundraising website in a bid to cover Jones’ medical costs and transport home. According to the GoFundMe page, his son Sebastian said that his father “remained resolute” in his determination to stay in the country and continue his work to help the people that needs his support. He added that when the family heard that he had also suffered what is usually fatal snakebite on top of all that he had been through, the family couldn’t believe it. 

Sebastian said, “Dad is a fighter, during his time out in India he had already suffered from Malaria and Dengue Fever even before COVID-19 and yet he had remained resolute in his determination to stay in the country and continue his work help the people that needed his support”. 

Further, he informed, “It really has been touch and go, he is stable at the moment although he has paralysis in his legs and blindness, both of which we hope is temporary, but it is clear he is going to need to remain in the hospital out there for some time to come”. 

READ: Lion Tamarian Reunited With Mama By Good Samaritan, Netizens Adore 'look Of Gratitude'

READ: Owl Found On Christmas Tree Becomes Internet Sensation, Netizens Say 'gift From Nature'