THE sister of partially-sighted Greenock house fire victim Gordon Percy says her brother is in a coma with 'deep' burns as his fight for life enters a fifth day.
Caroline Campbell said medics have had to perform a series of skin grafts on him as well as a blood transfusion — and that he is at constant risk of a potentially deadly infection.
Caroline, 57 — who was recently diagnosed with breast cancer — has been getting updates over the phone from Glasgow Royal Infirmary, where 58-year-old Gordon's condition remains critical following the fire at his home on Sunday.
She told the Telegraph: "He has deep burns, I don't know to what degree, but they're really very bad.
"They are mostly to the lower half of his body and his arms.
"But he has also had his scalp scraped, so he has some burns on his head as well.
"He's had skin grafts taken from his leg, arm and foot.
"Gordon's unconscious and in an induced coma."
The Tele reported earlier this week how Gordon — who has become increasingly dependant on a white stick in recent months — was left fighting for his life after fire ripped through his home on Plover Lane.
A joint CID and fire service investigation into the blaze has concluded that it was accidental.
Caroline — who lives in Devon — said: "He had a computer in a walk-in wardrobe and I think he's had other things plugged into an extension cable and something has overheated and started the fire.
"He had papers lying everywhere and there were obviously clothes in there as well."
She added: "He had to have a blood transfusion because the blood in his body goes to the places where he's been burned to try to mend him so he needs blood in other places too.
"It sounds like he was rescued in the nick of time."
Eyewitnesses said they saw Gordon being taken from the semi-detached property on a stretcher by a team of firefighters.
Flames could be seen shooting out from a top floor window at the height of the blaze as plumes of smoke billowed high into the air.
Caroline told how precious family photographs may have been destroyed as a result of the fire.
She said: "They were all with Gordon — he kept them because he was the only one of us to remain in Scotland.
"I just don't know at the moment if they are salvageable because we've been told there's a lot of water damage to the house.
"We just need to wait."
As well as Caroline, Gordon's brothers Alex, 62, and Bernard, 60, also live in England.
She said: "I'm finding things hard.
"I have breast cancer and have had three operations since October.
"I now have a three-hour round trip to Exeter ahead of me for radiotherapy.
"It's a difficult and horrendous time.
"My brother is at risk of infection and sepsis, so he's not anywhere near out of the woods.
"He'd been in hospital just about a fortnight ago because one of his legs kept giving way on him."
Caroline says her family are hugely grateful to the firefighters who rescued her brother and the medics who are battling to save him.
She said: "I'd just like to say a huge thank-you to the fire service and to the medical staff at Glasgow Royal Infirmary.
"The whole family really appreciates what they've done.
"Gordon remains critical and it's just one day at a time at the moment."
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel