THE manager of a rugby club that was rushed to hospital after suffering two heart attacks and a stroke attended his first match since the ordeal.
Ryan Thomas, manager of Pontypool RFC, was taken ill and rushed to hospital back in November 2024 after suffering two heart attacks and a stroke.
However, he was able to attend a match between his club and Ebbw Vale on Saturday, February 15, for the first time since he had been taken ill.
Ryan Thomas, pictured with wife Victoria, attended his first Pontypool RFC match in months since his ordeal (Image: Image: Victoria Thomas)
His family, including his wife Victoria, were initially told he would be unlikely to survive the ordeal.
Mr Thomas's sister-in-law, Amy Lowe, set up a GoFundMe page to raise funds to provide Ryan and her sister, Victoria with money to make rehab some home adaptations for Ryan's rehabilitation when he returns from hospital.
At the time of writing, that GoFundMe has raised more than £29k for the family, from more than 500 people, illustrating Mr Thomas' impact on his community.
Hundreds of people have raised more than £29k through GoFundMe to help Mr Thomas' recovery (Image: Victoria Thomas) The family have suffered months of heartbreak and uncertainty, with his sister-in-law writing on the GoFundMe page that the outlook had been "incredibly bleak", with doctors having warned the family that even if he survived, his quality of life could be "very limited".
However, the family have been buoyed by Mr Thomas's "sheer strength and determination", achieving what "many thought was impossible".
According to his sister-in-law, Mr Thomas is a "fighter" who has "defied the odds and survived the unsurvivable".
Pontypool RFC shared their delight at seeing Ryan at the Ebbw Vale game (Image: Victoria Thomas) (Image: Image: Victoria Thomas)
It is now hoped that Mr Thomas will soon be able to return home to his wife and young son as quickly as possible.
Pontypool RFC shared their delight at Mr Thomas' appearance at the match, sharing on their official Facebook page on Monday, February 17, alongside pictures from the game, that despite falling to defeat, "it was amazing to see Ryan at the game with Tor and Teddie".
