A Keighley teacher who was left in a coma following an unprovoked attack in Thailand made a breakthrough after lifting his arm in response to a Jimi Hendrix song.
But keen guitarist Adam Pickles, 40, has now been put back on a ventilator and is showing signs of fever and pneumonia despite previously making “good progress”, his friends and family said yesterday.
The former Bradford Grammar School pupil remains in a coma following emergency surgery after being attacked in the street by a man – believed to be a westerner – who struck him on the head with a metal bar.
In a breakthrough, his dad Andrew asked him to imagine playing the chords to the song Hey Joe, which was playing near his bedside, when he suddenly moved his arm across his body.
Mr Pickles, 62, said: “These are small steps but to us they are massive. They are what we have been hoping and praying for but the doctors had to put Adam back on the ventilator as he got too tired.”
The setback follows a series of positive developments in a week where donations hit £41,000 and also saw the father-of-one’s doctor “all smiles”.
Adam’s heart rate strengthened and he was thought to be making eye movements and responding to voices.
Adam’s close friend Katie Jones said: “Adam’s condition had shown signs of improvement and he is without a doubt a fighter. He was managing to breathe without the help of a ventilator for hours at a time. He is overcoming obstacles daily.
“We are hoping Adam will show more positive signs of improvement and ultimately we hope he will become stable enough to be flown home back to the UK. The cost to do this has been quoted at just over £70,000, so it is imperative we push on with the fundraising side of things to make this happen when he is stable enough to bring home.”
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