BRAVE Welsh hooker Ifan Phillips has had his leg amputated following his horror motorbike crash.
But the Ospreys star managed to raise £60,000 to put towards a prosthetic limb.
Ifan Phillips is currently in a wheelchair after having his leg amputated[/caption]
The Ospreys hooker, 25, was involved in a horror motorbike crash on December 5[/caption]
Phillips, 25, was involved in a serious crash with another motorcycle on December 5 in Swansea.
And the damage to his right leg was beyond repair, meaning he has had the operation to remove it.
After being discharged from Morriston Hospital and now using a wheelchair, he took to Instagram to give fans an emotional update.
Phillips said: “Now that I’m home from hospital and spirits are high I’d like to say a few words.
“Firstly, I’d like to thank everyone for your support over the last few days. It honestly means so much to me and my family.
“The generosity of the public and the rugby community has been truly overwhelming and I can not thank you guys enough for your kind donations, messages and much more.
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“My heartfelt thanks go to all who assisted at the scene of the accident, to the Emergency Services and to all staff at Morriston Hospital. You have all been brilliant.
“On the 5th of December I was rushed into Morrison Hospital following a motorbike accident.
“I went into theatre on arrival but following ongoing surgery it was not possible to save my leg. As a result I had to have an above the knee amputation.”
Phillips, son of Neath rugby legend and 20-cap Kevin, started his rugby career with Crymych and was picked up by the Ospreys after stints with Neath and Carmarthen Quins.
The former Wales Under-20 international signed a new Ospreys contract earlier this year after impressing the region’s head coach Toby Booth.
And the forward trained with Wayne Pivac’s Wales squad last summer although he was not officially called up.
He made his Ospreys debut in 2017 and was unlucky not to be called up to Wales’ autumn squad last month due to his fine form at regional level.
Those who know me well will know how active I am as an individual and I WILL continue to be so
Ifan Phillips
Now Phillips is aiming to collate £100,000 to help fund the replacement leg and his recovery.
He added: “Your kind donations will all be going towards my rehabilitation and hopefully getting a prosthetic leg which will enable me to experience new opportunities.
“Those who know me well will know how active I am as an individual and I WILL continue to be so.
“All your donations are greatly appreciated so thank you from the bottom of my heart.
“As I continue to get stronger I hopefully will be able to catch up with everyone at sometime but for the next few weeks I would appreciate some quiet time with family and close friends.”
Those wishing to contribute to Phillips’ rehab can donate on his Just Giving page.
