{"id":299325,"date":"2023-11-14T12:24:26","date_gmt":"2023-11-14T12:24:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sportstons.com\/?p=299325"},"modified":"2023-11-14T12:24:26","modified_gmt":"2023-11-14T12:24:26","slug":"jockey-lee-rushed-to-intensive-care-with-spine-damage-as-thousands-raised","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sportstons.com\/horse-racing\/jockey-lee-rushed-to-intensive-care-with-spine-damage-as-thousands-raised\/","title":{"rendered":"Jockey Lee rushed to intensive care with spine damage as thousands raised"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Over \u00a330,000 has been raised by the horse racing community to provide care for Graham Lee, with other members of the weighing room generously pledging funds to his recovery. The jockey is in intensive care after being unseated by his runner Ben Macdui on Friday evening whilst racing in Newcastle, sustaining a serious spinal injury.<\/p>\n

The 47-year-old was rushed to the Royal Victoria Infirmary on Friday night after falling off of his mount as the stalls opened for the BetUK Home of the Acca-Fenwa Handicap. A series of checks and scans then revealed that the jockey had sustained an unstable cervical fracture which has caused damage to his spinal cord, as well as damaging his blood vessels in his mid-cervical region.<\/p>\n

The Injury Jockey Fund (IJF) revealed over the weekend that the injury is \u2018very serious\u2019 and that the jockey is in an \u2018unstable\u2019 condition. Lee remains in intensive care and his family have begun fundraising to aid his recovery, with a JustGiving being set up by his daughter Amy on Monday.<\/p>\n

She wrote: \u201cThe Injured Jockeys Fund are an incredible charity which will be there every step of the way for dads recovery. Anything at all is appreciated. Thousands of people have either posted, commented or shared on social media so if everyone were to donate \u00a31 it would make a huge difference.”<\/p>\n

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Since the announcement of a fundraiser being created, donations have bombarded the page along with messages of support from racing fans, staff and connections of the horses. Numerous jockeys have also donated, with Oisin Murphy and Rossa Ryan among those to send money and well wishes to their colleague and his family.<\/p>\n

Lee has enjoyed plenty of success throughout his lengthy career, having initially made the breakthrough as a National Hunt jockey before switching codes and riding on the flat. Lee won the Grand National with Amberleigh House in 2004, in what has been a career highlight for the talented horseman.<\/p>\n