EXCLUSIVE British dad, 51, stuck in Malaysia after suffering a stroke in front of his daughters on long-haul flight to 'dream family holiday'
Now left picking up the pieces, wife Noor Haris, 55, a medical doctor from Malaysia living in Newcastle, has spoken for the first time about the terrifying ordeal that turned a long-awaited summer holiday into a life-altering nightmare.
Her husband, Mohd, 51, suffered a stroke just hours before their British Airways flight from Newcastle to Kuala Lumpur was due to land on July 4. He collapsed in front of their two daughters, aged 16 and 18.
Recalling the harrowing experience to MailOnline, Noor said: 'It was around 6am, I had gone to get a drink and my husband needed the toilet. That's when he fell on to the floor and collapsed.
'He could not move his left arm or leg, they were completely dead. That's when we realised he was having a stroke.' A GoFundMe has now been launched to help support Noor and her family.
The family had boarded the British Airways flight on July 3 at 5:30pm from Newcastle, via London Heathrow, heading to Malaysia for their children's school holidays.
The trip was meant to bring respite after a gruelling few months. Mohd had suffered his first stroke in March 2025 and had spent two months recovering in hospital.
With medical clearance to fly and using a walking stick, the family felt optimistic.
But in the early hours over Asia, disaster struck again.
'I kept telling the crew: "He's having a stroke, he's definitely had a stroke",' Noor said.
Displaying extraordinary calm under immense pressure, Noor, a full-time working doctor, cared for her husband with the help of compassionate BA crew and a fellow doctor on board.
An anonymous medical professional came and assessed and reviewed Noor's husband. They also carried out checks on him every half-an-hour to ensure his condition was not worsening.
Staff provided clean pajamas, and despite the harrowing situation, Noor managed to clean him up and settle him back into his seat.
'When we got him back again to his seat, at that point there was some discussion about trying to divert the flight,' she said.
'Even though unfortunately he could not move his left arm or leg he was otherwise stable. They checked his blood pressure and everything and they were all okay so the decision was made to continue the journey.'
Speaking of the devastating moment Mohd collapsed in the plane's narrow aisle, Noor admitted she 'blanked out everything because I knew in my mind what was going on.
'I'm also a medical doctor so with my knowledge I did not panic, but the girls, they were sat in front of us, and when they heard that their dad had collapsed they turned around but I couldn't even look at their faces.
'I was totally unaware of what everybody else was thinking or doing. A couple of passengers did offer to try and help to lift him up,' she added.
Upon arrival in Kuala Lumpur, paramedics were waiting on the tarmac, having been alerted by the crew.
Noor expressed her relief that due to the urgency of the situation, the family managed to get through immigration, board an ambulance and reach a local A&E in under an hour.
'I was quite lucky at the time because I had my two daughters with me and was giving them specific instructions about what to do.
'As soon as we arrived he was wheeled in, they put a cannula in his arm and went straight for a CT scan.'
The scans confirmed a new stroke - a right pontine infarct and left parieto-occipital infarct. He now suffers from left-sided weakness and is being tube-fed due to the risk of aspiration.
'As soon as they confirmed it was not bleeding, we were transported to a neighbouring hospital which actually happened to be a special stroke unit.'
Noor said that the entire ordeal happened quickly and the decision was made that he was not a candidate for any immediate intervention. He was admitted to the hospital then and has been there ever since.
While doctors in Malaysia have identified him as a strong candidate for intensive rehabilitation, the family's life has been thrown into limbo.
Meant to fly back on July 22, Noor has remained in hospital with her husband 24/7, unable to leave his side, while their daughters stay with relatives.
'He has improved movement in his left arm and leg but obviously its limited what he can do with his hands and his walking is not good.
'Doctors are also trying to adjust his medication for his high blood pressure and diabetes,' she said.
Noor is also highly concerned about Mohd's deteriorating mental health following his sickness.
'He can't do much, he struggles to do his buttons and pick things up so even just dressing himself is a challenge,' she said.
'He's very, very depressed. He keeps saying he ruined everything, that it's all his fault. But I keep telling him: "It's not. It's not your fault."
'He's feeling really down as well, because he knows that it's very unlikely he'll be able to drive and he used to do the school run for the girls.'
The sudden crisis has now left Noor grappling with the emotional and financial toll.
'I'm supposed to be back at work on July 24,' she added. 'But now I'm having to negotiate, because I don't know when we'll be able to fly home.'
Noor has been liaising with her husband's consultants in the UK to try and work out the safest time for the pair to journey back to Newcastle.
'There's also the uncertainty with the girls - one will be starting university, and they are both waiting for school results,' Noor said.
'So there is that dilemma as to whether I should let them go back on their own. But that will mean splitting up the family,' she added.
A GoFundMe has now been launched to help support Noor and her family as they face growing costs for living expenses, potential repatriation, and their daughters' education.
The fundraiser reads: 'Noor has always been a pillar of strength - for her family, and for everyone around her. Now, I hope we can be her support.
'Please consider donating whatever you can. No contribution is too small, and even if you're unable to give, your prayers and sharing this fundraiser are just as meaningful.
'Let's come together as a community to show Noor and her family that they're not alone.'
Despite the trauma, Noor is full of praise for British Airways staff.
'They were absolutely very supportive, very professional, very, very good,' she said.
'I appreciate that according to their protocol they should have diverted but I think I know this was the right thing to do, potentially, he probably had a clot that caused his stroke, but by the time we got to Malaysia the clot had actually probably moved because when they scanned him they could not see the clot.'
For now, the family's future remains uncertain - but Noor remains at her husband's side, quietly and determinedly holding it all together.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Times
5 hours ago
- Times
Japanese walking: how the latest fitness trend shapes up
At first there was yoga. Then, there was pilates. Now, social media fitness fanatics have turned to a new exercise trend: Japanese walking. The simple workout, also known as Nihon Aruki in its homeland, boasts a range of health benefits, according to researchers. The exercise involves interval-style bursts of fast and slow walking, alternating between walking at a higher intensity for three minutes and a lower intensity for the next three. The researchers capped the fast intervals at three minutes because that was the point at which many older volunteers started to feel tired. During the fast intervals, people should aim to take longer strides than during the slow intervals. Engaging the arms by bending them at the elbows and swinging them with each step is recommended as a way to help maintain proper form during longer strides. It was developed by Professor Hiroshi Nose and Associate Professor Shizue Masuki at Shinshu University in Matsumoto, Japan, as a way to help elderly citizens get the health benefits experienced by athletes undertaking high-intensity interval training. According to the researchers, the high-intensity walking should be undertaken at a speed where holding a normal conversation is slightly difficult. The lower intensity pace should be light, and normal conversation should be possible. Their initial research, conducted in 2007, compared 'Japanese walking' with normal walking at a continuous speed, for 8,000 steps per day. Those who participated in the study found that those walking at varying speeds experienced weight loss and lower blood pressure. • Am I fit for my age? Exercises for your 30s to your 70s Both leg strength and physical fitness also improved for those undertaking the Japanese walking programme. A later study, conducted by the same researchers in 2018, found that, over a ten-year period, those who did interval walking reported fewer age-related declines in their muscle power and aerobic capacity. Some experts have, however, said that simply walking more, and at more rigorous speeds could boost health, and that this specific walking regime may therefore not have any particular benefits. 'Achieving a certain number of steps per day has also been shown to help people live longer,' Sean Pymer, an Academic Clinical Exercise Physiologist at the University of Hull wrote in The Conversation. • How to hit peak fitness over 40: the midlife rules 'For those aged 60 and older, the target should be around 6,000 to 8,000 steps a day and 8,000 to 10,000 for those aged under 60. Similar evidence does not appear to exist for Japanese walking … yet,' he continued. 'So is this walking trend really the be-all and end-all? Or does it matter less about what exercise you do and more about how often and how hard you do it? The answer is likely to be the latter … We should focus on ensuring we perform regular moderate to vigorous physical activity and make it habitual. If that activity happens to be Japanese walking, then it's a worthwhile choice.' Some scientists, however, suggest the original Japanese study may have been skewed by the decision to only monitor the high-intensity group with accelerometers, not the moderate intensity group. Dr Helga Van Herle, a cardiologist at the University of South Carolina, has said this may have triggered the Hawthorne effect — participants walking faster than they otherwise would have because they knew they were being watched. Even so, experts generally agree that vigorous bursts of activity, even for short periods, are likely to be beneficial. Compared with more classic forms of high-intensity interval training, interval walking is more approachable for some groups, especially those who haven't exercised in a while or who are recovering from injuries that make activities such as running difficult.
The Independent
7 hours ago
- The Independent
Matcha could have little-known side effect that could affect your blood
Nutritionists warn that excessive consumption of matcha, a popular Japanese green tea, can contribute to iron deficiency. The polyphenols in matcha, such as catechins and tannins, bind to non-haem iron found in plant-based foods, significantly reducing its absorption in the body. Vegetarians and vegans are particularly susceptible to this risk as their diets primarily rely on non-haem iron sources like lentils, tofu, and leafy greens. To mitigate the risk of iron deficiency, it is advised to avoid drinking matcha with meals, especially for those with plant-based diets or who are already iron deficient. Iron deficiency, also known as anaemia, can lead to symptoms such as tiredness, shortness of breath, and pale skin, and is common among teenage girls, vegans, and vegetarians.
The Independent
8 hours ago
- The Independent
Why your matcha obsession may be messing with your iron levels, nutritionists explain
The world has developed a thirst for matcha – a bright green Japanese drink that's sought after for its health benefits and caffeine. However, the drink of choice for many may have a downside. Not only is its popularity drying up global supplies, but drinking too much of it could contribute to an iron deficiency. Nutritionists warn the green lattes can affect iron absorption and vegetarians are at a higher risk than meat eaters. Matcha is made from the green tea plant, Camellia Sinensis, which is ground into a powder. Because it's grown in the shade the plant produces more chlorophyll, which not only gives it a deep green colour but also means it contains more nutrients. Rob Hobson, a nutritionist and author of Unprocess Your Family Life, explains the drink does have health benefits. 'It contains polyphenols which protects the body against oxidative damage. So, it helps to reduce inflammation which then helps to protect against chronic diseases,' he told the Independent. 'Because it contains caffeine it helps with mental focus. But it also contains L-theanine which helps to lessen that jittery edge that you get from caffeine,' he added. Research has also suggested these polyphenols in matcha can reduce the risk of heart disease. But the same health boosting polyphenols also make it harder for the body to absorb iron. Gunter Kuhnle, a professor of nutrition and food science at the University of Reading explained matcha tea can affect iron absorption by binding the (non-haem) iron that is found in many plant foods – such as lentils, leafy greens and tofu. 'It contains the compounds catechins and tannins – which are both polyphenols – that can bind to iron in the digestive tracts, and this stops them from being taken up by the body,' Professor Kuhnle told the Independent. 'These complexes then pass through the gut and are not useful for the body – this can reduce iron uptake by up to 50 per cent, but this varies a lot between individuals and depends on the timing of the meal and the type of food,' he added. He explained there is a similar problem with green tea because it also contains high levels of polyphenols. Although rare, in one instance a 48-year-old man became anaemic from excessive green tea consumption Professor Kuhnle said. Mr Hobson stressed that you don't need to worry if you have a balanced diet, but warned vegetarians are at a greater risk. That's because it only affects non-haem iron which is in tofu and lentils and not haem iron which is found in meat. 'If you are vegan or vegetarian and you are relying on lentils, leafy green and tofu for your iron, then you might want to avoid drinking matcha with your meals because it can inhibit iron absorption in the gut,' Mr Hobson said. He also stressed that if you are low in iron anyway and take iron supplements, you should avoid taking these at the same time as drinking a matcha. An iron deficiency, also called anaemia, can cause tiredness, shortness of breath, paler skin, headaches and heart palpitations, according to the NHS. Low iron is common among teenage girls, vegans and vegetarians with a study by Lund University in Sweden finding 38 per cent of participants who were teenage girls and 70 per cent of participants who were vegetarian or vegan, affected by the deficiency. If you want to reap the health benefits of matcha, in addition to not drinking it at mealtimes, make sure to avoid adding a lot of syrup or cream. Mr Hobson instead suggests the healthiest option is to drink it plain.
