A FATHER left paralysed and stranded in the Philippines after a car crash which killed his fiancee and son, has returned to the UK.

Michael Shiel, of Turpington Lane, Bromley, was stuck in the Philippines for nearly three months after the accident in Manila on December 31 last year.

The 54-year-old’s fiancee Maria, 25, was killed instantly and his 14-month-old son Charlie died later in hospital.

His two-year-old daughter, Elizabeth, survived with an injured foot.

The carpenter’s family and friends rallied round to help raise £25,000 to bring him home, as computer problems prevented him from buying travel insurance before he flew out.

He was flown back to the UK on Thursday and taken to the Princess Royal University Hospital in Farnborough, where he expects to remain for the next few days.

Paralysed from the neck down, but fully conscious and able to use his arms, Mr Shiel spoke to the News Shopper from his hospital bed.

He said: “It’s unbelievable, you can't imagine that the little boy you were taking photos of that morning, you will never ever see again, and you will never see your girlfriend again.

“I never dreamt anything like this was going to happen.

“I never thought children were going to be for me.

“It happened very late in life for me, which made it all the more precious and for it to be taken away like that, the bad thing is I took it away, and that’s ever so hard to come to terms with.”

He added: “The most awful thing was I couldn’t attend their funerals. I never got chance before I left to even visit their graves.

“One day I will, even if I am wheelchair bound.”

The car crash

On New Year’s Eve last year, Mr Shiel was driving Maria and their children to the shops to buy food for the evening’s festivities, but he says he does not remember the accident.

He said: “I woke up in hospital with bad injuries to my head.

“For the next three weeks every day was a bit of a haze.

“It was as if I was in a dream that I was about to wake up from.”

Mr Shiel found out two days later that Maria and Charlie were dead.

He said: “I don’t know if I could have avoided the crash, because I have no recollection and that makes it very difficult to come to terms with.

“It's an accident that's removed so much from my life. ”

Mr Shiel is now hoping to get a place at a rehabilitation centre.

He said: “As you get some sensation back in the previously paralysed parts, it gives you some hope for your life in the future.

“But I’m trying to be realistic and accept I may not regain full use of my lower limbs.”

"I thought I might be stuck there"

Mr Shiel says he was not fully aware of the difficulties his family had in flying him back to the UK.

He said: “It occurred to me am I ever going to get away from this place? I thought I might be stuck there.

“I was sent assurances everything was being taken care of, that everything was in hand.”

He added: “I just want to thank everyone who has been involved, to people who have played major parts, and to people who have played minor ones.”

Fundraising event

Despite managing to raise the bulk of the money needed to bring Mr Shiel home, the family had to borrow £6,000 from repatriation company Mediaviation.

They will be holding a fundraising event to help repay the cash on April 11 at Keston Village Hall in Heathfield Road, Keston, which everyone is welcome to attend.

For more information call Ravi Sharman on 07850 867955.