Inspirational Mekala Osborne from Prestonpans shares recovery update as she can now use her wheelchair unaided

A Scot who contracted a near-fatal bout of pneumonia while on a dream holiday in Vietnam last September is continuing her recovery and now able to get around in her wheelchair unaided.

Inspirational Mekala Osborne from East Lothian only began breathing unaided in March this year and moved to rehabilitation at the Astley Ainslie Hospital in the same month.

In an update shared on social media by Mekala’s mother, Yvonne McAulay, the 22-year-old’s recovery can be seen going from strength to strength as she moves around in her wheelchair unaided, sits up on her own and can even decorate cupcakes.

Family friend Davie Martin also shared that Mekala had managed to use a cycling machine to cycle for 3 kilometres.

Mekala has been working with physiotherapists and occupational therapists to regain movement.

In her heartfelt post, Yvonne expressed her gratitude to everyone who had been involved in her daughter’s recovery.

She said: “With all that’s been going on, thank you everyone for taking the time and supporting Mekala.

“Everyone has an opinion, you can’t change history. I for one wish I could when our daughter went travelling, but thankfully there were people there that could save her.

“They were from all different nationalities, countries, backgrounds. Respect to everyone involved from the bottom of our hearts. I think we all need to take time out and look at things in perspective.

“I as a Mum watched whilst my daughter's chest rose and fell with the aid of a machine. I watch her now, heart beating on it's own and her damaged lung rising and falling.

“Not one minute goes by that we are not thankful for the support you have given to Mekala.”

When Mekala fell ill last September, she initially thought the infection was a sore throat which she was initially treating with Strepsils.

However she was left fighting for her life with just a five per cent chance of survival after the bronchial pneumonia worsened. Her family were told to ‘pray she survives’.

She spent two months in a specialist unit in Da Nang, Vietnam and almost a fortnight in an induced coma.

After spending time in a specialist hospital in Singapore she was repatriated to the UK by a three-strong medical team which included Dr Winston Jong who performed life saving surgery on her.

Mekala then spent a further 117 days in Edinburgh’s Royal Infirmary on a trache supporting her breathing and building up her strength before moving to the Astley Ainslie to work with occupational therapists.