Exclusive | Mirror concert accident: injured Hong Kong dancer Mo Li faces ‘months in hospital, slow recovery, possibility of being paralysed’
- The 27-year-old has undergone three operations so far, including two on injured cervical spine, says source
- Li is temporarily unable to speak and on a ventilator following trachea surgery to help him breathe
Dancer Mo Li Kai-yin, who was critically injured when a giant screen crashed on him during a concert by Hong Kong boy band Mirror two weeks ago, faces months in hospital and the possibility of being paralysed from the neck down, the Post has learned.
The 27-year-old, who has remained in intensive care since the July 28 incident, will undergo an assessment early this week to determine the extent of his injuries and his prospects of recovery.
A source familiar with the situation told the Post that Li has had three operations: a two-part neck surgery to decompress and stabilise two sections of his cervical spine, and tracheotomy surgery to create an artificial airway to help him breathe.
As a result of the trachea operation, Li has temporarily lost his ability to speak and is on a ventilator.
His recovery is expected to be a long journey, requiring him to remain in hospital for at least nine months. Even after he is discharged, he is likely to need considerable help in his daily life.
Li’s father, Reverend Derek Li Shing-lam, revealed on Sunday that his son had found a way to communicate with people, and “treatments have been carried out according to the progress and assessment of the medical team”.
The Baptist pastor, who had emigrated to Canada with his family, returned to Hong Kong with his wife after their son’s accident. He thanked the medical team for taking care of his son and Mo Li’s girlfriend for her companionship and care.