Thomas Ong breaks ankle after slipping on wet stones at waterfall in Japan
While in Japan on what was supposed to be a lengthy 45-day trip, local actor Thomas Ong was forced to cut short his sojourn when he broke his ankle during a fall.
However, he’s not letting the injury jettison his future travel plans — according to doctors, he is set to recover in time for his upcoming group tour to Europe in December.
Source: Thomas Ong 王沺裁 on Facebook
Thomas Ong brings back crutches as ‘souvenirs’ from Japan
The 57-year-old actor revealed what had happened in a Facebook post on Sunday (1 Nov), where he shared a photo of himself sitting in a wheelchair at Tokyo’s Narita Airport.
His right ankle was noticeably bandaged, and he was holding a pair of crutches.
These were the “souvenirs” he brought back from Japan this time round, he quipped.
Ankle would take about 6 weeks to recover
Ong said he sustained the injury on 25 Oct and was given two options by doctors.
The first was to have surgery to insert a metal plate in his leg, which would mean that he would be able to move around more freely after about two weeks.
Another choice was to avoid surgery but just plaster his leg to let the bone heal on its own.
Both options would mean about six weeks of recovery time, he noted.
Source: Thomas Ong 王沺裁 on Facebook
Thomas Ong will recover in time for Europe trip
When Ong heard that it would take six weeks to recover, he didn’t feel unlucky but instead felt an “indescribable” gratitude.
That’s because he was supposed to join a group tour in Europe on 7 Dec — exactly six weeks from when he sustained the injury.
“If this accident had happened two weeks later, I might not have been able to go on that Europe trip,” he said.
In an Instagram post by LGE Travel, Ong said he was leading the 13-day-10-night group tour on a Viking River Cruise across Europe.
Source: @lgetravel on Instagram
Thomas Ong broke ankle after slipping & falling down stone steps
Ong told Lianhe Zaobao that he had sustained the injury after taking photos of a waterfall in Japan.
He had slipped and fallen while walking down wet stone steps amid a slight drizzle, he said.
Source: Thomas Ong 王沺裁 on Facebook
He had initially thought he had just sprained his ankle, but still drove to a local hospital for treatment.
There, an X-ray revealed that he had fractured his ankle.
Thomas Ong still has beautiful memories of his trip
In his post, Ong said that it was alright that his 45-day trip ended after only 10 days.
After all, he had enjoyed many beautiful sights and ate a lot of delicious food, he noted, adding:
The mountains, waterfalls, hot springs, and the unforgettable local delicacies all became great memories of this trip… (It) won’t be erased just because something unpleasant happened.
Eventually, he decided not to have surgery or plaster his leg, but stay at home and watch dramas to let his bones slowly heal.
Have news you must share? Get in touch with us via email at news@mustsharenews.com.
Featured image adapted from Thomas Ong 王沺裁 on Facebook.
