Mo Li, Hong Kong dancer hurt in Mirror concert accident, showing ‘signs of independence’ in bowel muscle control, father reveals
- Reverend Derek Li asks for prayers for son Mo Li, 28, in latest post, adding doctors are trying to solve issues with a urinary catheter for patient
- Mo Li was severely injured in a horrific accident last July when a giant screen crashed down on him during a concert by the popular boy band
A dancer seriously injured by a giant falling screen during a concert by popular Hong Kong boy band Mirror last July has regained some control over his bowel muscles, his father has revealed.
Reverend Derek Li Shing-lam, father of Mo Li Kai-yin, 28, said his son had shown “gradual signs of independence” in certain body functions and that he hoped the condition of the younger man’s nervous system would “continue to improve”.
“The nervous system for bowel and urinary control belongs to the same group,” the senior Li wrote online in his weekly prayer letter near midnight on Saturday.
He said doctors and professors have been trying to solve issues related to Li’s urinary catheter, a tube used to empty the bladder and collect urine in a drainage bag. The most recent news reports in December indicated the dancer was being treated at the CUHK Medical Centre.
“I hope that the urinary bag can be successfully removed soon to facilitate recovery,” the reverend said, asking for prayers from supporters.
On July 28 last year, a four-by-four-metre screen crashed onto the stage as members of pop group Mirror and dancers were performing at the Hong Kong Coliseum. Li and fellow dancer Chang Tsz-fung were injured.
Li, directly hit by the falling screen, was the most severely hurt and faced the risk of becoming paralysed from the neck down.
He has been on a long rehabilitation journey, and, according to his father, has made progress such as being able to take his first steps with the help of an exoskeleton device.
“My son’s current posture on a wheelchair is balanced by his elbow muscles. Occasional muscle spasms and twitches have led to loss of balance for him,” the senior Li revealed in his latest update.
“His body needs immediate support or else it will fall over. We have added a shoulder harness for safety and pray that this phase will pass soon.”
The reverend said he and his wife had been unable to find a suitable carer for a night last week and had to stand in for their son.
“We did three stretches, changed his position and massaged his muscles. We got through the night more or less smoothly,” he said, expressing hope a new carer would be able to adapt to the needs of his son.
Five people were arrested in November over the concert tragedy. Four of them were staff from the show’s main contractor – Engineering Impact Limited. The fifth suspect was a senior technician from subcontractor Hip Hing Loong.
Among them, two men and a woman from the principal contractor were charged with a joint count of conspiracy to defraud and appeared in court in February for the first time.
