Racing has united to raise more than £40,000 (about US$50,000) to help Graham Lee and the Injured Jockeys Fund, after the organization promised to provide care and support for the rider and his family following his serious injury.
A JustGiving page was set up Nov. 13 by Lee’s daughter Amy. His weighing room colleagues, including Oisin Murphy and Rossa Ryan, trainers, owners, and the racing public have shown their support for the jockey and the IJF with donations.
The description on the fundraising page says: “The Injured Jockeys Fund is an incredible charity which will be there every step of the way for Dad’s recovery. Anything at all is appreciated.”
The 47-year-old was taken by ambulance to the Royal Victoria Infirmary in Newcastle and held in an intensive therapy unit after being unseated from his mount, Ben Macdui, as the stalls opened for a sprint handicap.
Lee has an unstable cervical fracture causing damage to the spinal cord, as well as damage to blood vessels in the mid-cervical region. The IJF’s latest statement on his condition on Sunday said that his sedation had been able to be reduced.
Lee rode more than 1,000 winners over jumps before switching his focus to the flat in 2012. Lee had 47 victories this year from 598 rides before his injury.
