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Birthday home visit for Holywell teenager left disabled after choking on chewing gum

Oct 15 2009 by Lois York, Flintshire Chronicle

A TEENAGER left severely disabled after choking on chewing gum two years ago is returning home from hospital for the first time on his birthday.

Rhys Thomas’ family are delighted he can come home for the day on Saturday. And they hope one day he will be able to return home permanently.

Saturday’s celebrations will include a house warming the same day to thank the community after they helped raise cash towards an £80,000 extension at their home in Holywell.

Rhys’ father Grahame Thomas, a magistrate and lecturer, said: “This is a big moment for us, quite a milestone.”

The family will collect him from the Arfon Brain Rehabilitation Unit, Colwyn Bay, in a Motobility people carrier which has undergone a £12,000 adaptation.

Rhys’ friends from school will be calling through the day and the family will return him to hospital at about 6pm.

“Everyone has been so kind. We are so grateful. This will be a way of saying thank you and show what has been achieved,” Grahame added.

Rhys has been blind and unable to move or speak since his parents found him unconscious in October, 2007.

He spent time on a life-support machine at Glan Clwyd Hospital, Bodelwyddan, after Grahame and wife Trish found he had stopped breathing.

He had been chewing gum before he went to bed and it lodged in his windpipe. He suffered a heart attack, thought to have been caused by lack of oxygen.

Grahame, who teaches at the autistic centre at Kinsale Hall, Mostyn, said: “It will be lovely to have Rhys home and we also want to do things during the day so that we can get used to looking after him.”

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