Craig Mackinlay is set to return to the House of Commons today for the first time since having his arms and legs removed in a devastating battle with sepsis.
The South Thanet MP’s attendance at Prime Minister’s Questions for the first time in several months will mark an important stage in his rehabilitation.
The Conservative can be assured of a rousing reception from all sides, and expect to be on the receiving end of tributes from not just his own party but across the political spectrum.
Speaking publicly for the first time yesterday about the “extreme surgery”, Mr Mackinlay told how doctors were forced to operate because of the effects of the life-threatening condition.
The 57-year-old from Rochester had been rushed to hospital in September after feeling “very unwell” at home the previous day.
Medics placed him into an induced coma to help his body fight the sepsis, and then fought to keep him alive as he suffered multiple organ failures. He didn’t come out of the coma for 16 days.
Their efforts were a success and the father-of-one pulled through, but doctors were unable to save his limbs.
Following his courageous interview on GB NEWS, the MP has received an outpouring of support.
His Labour opponent in the new East Thanet seat, Polly Billington, tweeted: “I know Craig is a battler and he has proved it by his survival of this awful ordeal.
“It serves as a poignant reminder of the indiscriminate nature of health challenges.
“His family has gone through an awful ordeal and my heart goes out to his wife Katie and their young daughter.”
Labour MP for Canterbury, Rosie Duffield, expressed her delight at his imminent return to Parliament.
She tweeted last night: “My incredibly courageous neighbour @cmackinlay returns to @HouseofCommons tomorrow for #PMQs. Colleagues across the House will be really pleased to see him back after a tough few months. (Looking forward to resuming our sparring over Brexit, small boats, etc!)”.
Radio presenter and newspaper columnist Julie Hartley-Brewer tweeted: “MP Craig Mackinlay is not only one of the biggest fighters for freedom and common sense in our Parliament, he's also one of the nicest people you could meet.
“Heartbreaking that sepsis has done this to him. But nothing will defeat this man.”
Robert Jenrick MP added: “An exceptionally brave man. Look forward to welcoming you back to Westminster.”
Mr Mackinlay told GB News how at one point he was blue from head to toe, and his family was told he had just a 5% chance of survival.
He told Christopher Hope: “Within about half an hour of being admitted into hospital, I had the GIC effect - when sepsis gets completely out of control and I turned literally a colour of blue from head to toe - my whole body was blue.
“You end up with a lot of blood clots in your extremities, they call it the socks and gloves - and that's what I had.
"It affected the front of my face, you can see I've got a bit of scarring. I had necrosis because of a loss of blood supply to the front of my mouth and its caused some damage to teeth and scarring, they had to take off some dead skin. And that will be some plastic surgery into the future.
“The price I'm going to pay for living is quite a serious disability, but we'll get over it. We are going to have prosthetics that work, we're going for some very fancy multi-articulating hands, and you know, in time, hopefully, I might be a little bit taller even, because I've got an extra inch on my legs thus far, so that's perhaps a bonus of it.”
He previously told how he had received “exemplary” treatment from the NHS and was “extremely lucky to be alive”.
Analysis from KentOnline’s political editor Paul Francis
As personal life-changing ordeals go, the one that the South Thanet MP Craig Mackinlay has endured counts as among the more shattering and traumatic.
His determination to continue as an MP is commendable; as is his determination to speak up for others who have suffered similar traumatic events.
We tend to forget that MPs are human and are quick to highlight their shortcomings; most do an admirable job helping constituents in ways that never - or rarely - get reported.
There has been an outpouring of support for him across the political divide. He says he will stand as a candidate at the election and wants to be known as the “bionic MP”.
No one would begrudge him if he chose to step away from politics to continue his recovery but that is apparently not a route he wants to go down.
He says he tries to remain positive and cheerful “about the things you can do, there's not much point moaning or complaining or getting down about the things you can't do”.
He intends to campaign to make sure that the health service recognises sepsis at the earliest opportunity.
It is a campaign he is well-placed to lead.
