Former Rangers star Fernando Ricksen banned from flying due to health issues

[pete 2,499]

Former Rangers star Fernando Ricksen banned from flying due to health issues

 

 

THE 40-year-old suffers from Motor Neurone Disease and wasn't allowed to board a flight due to fears he wouldn't be able to undo his seatbelt in an emergency.

Former Rangers star Fernando Ricksen has been banned from flying

 

RANGERS legend Fernando Ricksen has been banned from flying by Dutch airline KLM due to his ill-health.

 

The former Ibrox star suffers from Motor Neurone Disease and was stopped from boarding a flight from Valencia to Amsterdam as he prepared to make his way to Glasgow for a charity dinner.

 

The airline defended the decision, which was made over fears Ricksen would be unable to undo his seatbelt in an emergency.

 

Ricksen was due in Glasgow for a charity dinner in his honour tomorrow night, with former Rangers stars such as Barry Ferguson and Marco Negri due to attend.

 

The former Netherlands international's biographer Vincent De Vries criticised the decision to stop Ricksen from flying, insisting he has flown the same route three times in the last month.

 

 

He said: "Fernando has flown the same route three times in the last month without any problems.

 

"He believes he's well enough to fly alone. If he wasn't he wouldn't. They said he was too ill, that he wouldn't be able to open his seatbelt but he told me can do it. He would even have got the people next to him to help out."

 

A spokesperson for the company said: "We are acting in the wellbeing of its passengers and importance of flight safety.

 

"From a privacy perspective, we do not comment on questions about our passengers."

 

I find this a strange one. My Mum has just retuned home from holiday here and flew with KLM and they were as helpful as anything. My Mum could loosen a seatbelt but is totally reliant on a rollator\walker. When signing in they asked us if she could get to her seat herself or would they need to use special equipment to get her there. My mum could walk using the chairs to hold on too but I am sure there are many who can't. They may be able to loosen a seatbelt but are then helpless. As I say it is a strange one and not what I would have expected from KLM. I have no idea how impaired Ricksen is at this minute though as I suppose there must be a limit as to how impaired you can be.

[jhunter 0]

surely he has a full time carer with him at all times?

[craig 5,199]

sadly I fear the worst for Fernando.

 

I have lost two family members to MND. It is such a painful, debilitating disease even as a bystander. It really does break your heart watching ANYONE go through it.

[JFK-1 1,693]

sadly I fear the worst for Fernando.

 

I have lost two family members to MND. It is such a painful, debilitating disease even as a bystander. It really does break your heart watching ANYONE go through it.

 

Yes I too think he is now approaching the end. Apparently around half of all victims are dead inside 3 years of diagnosis and 80% inside 4 years. Awful way to go.

[craig 5,199]

Yes I too think he is now approaching the end. Apparently around half of all victims are dead inside 3 years of diagnosis and 80% inside 4 years. Awful way to go.

 

Both of my cousins were gone in less than 4 years, one was less than 3 if I recall.

 

What makes the disease worse is that mental faculties are still fully developed, but it is the physical which goes. For an energy ball like Fernando it will mentally feel as if he is caged in a straight-jacket in an asylum.

 

It is a terrifying disease !

[pete 2,499]

I must admit I had never heard of it until Fernando got it but it does seem like a living hell.

[ian1964 10,724]

On his way: Fernando Ricksen WILL be allowed to fly to Glasgow for charity dinner

 

STRICKEN Fernando Ricksen WILL be allowed to fly to Glasgow for his charity dinner tomorrow night - after red faced airline bosses made a U-turn on the decision he was too ill to fly.

 

We told how Rangers legend Ricksen was grounded by KLM over fears muscle-wasting motor neurone disease could stop him removing his seatbelt in an emergency.

 

The dying star was furious he was set to miss a tribute dinner in his honour in Glasgow tonight, but he now looks set to make the glitzy event after the Dutch airline reversed their original decision.

 

And his biographer Vincent De Vries thanked The Scottish Sun for putting pressure on the company over the snub.

 

He said: “I think KLM were in shock with the bad press

 

“KLM contacted us and said he could fly today, but it would cost 600 Euros. They eventually changed their mind and said he could fly without having to pay the extra money.

 

“It’s strange. Yesterday they thought it was impossible for him to fly, but now they think it’s possible. It doesn’t make much sense.”

 

We revealed how the Dutch carrier’s check-in staff dropped the bombshell news he couldn’t fly minutes before he was due to board in Valencia, Spain, where he now lives.

 

They thought it would be unsafe for him to make the journey as they believed he would struggle with his seatbelt.

 

But KLM will now let him board a flight to Glasgow tonight.

 

Pal Vincent said he was delighted he wouldn’t let people down for the £60-a-head do at the DoubleTree by Hilton hotel.

 

He said: “He’s happy that he will be able to make it. It would obviously have been strange without him there.

 

“He didn’t want to let anyone down.”

 

Former Gers favourites including Barry Ferguson, Marco Negri and Charlie Miller are ready to honour Ricksen at the event.

 

KLM had previously said they were “acting in the wellbeing” of Ricksen when they made the decision not to let him board.

 

We’ve previously told how the ex-Dutch international star’s health has declined since he was diagnosed with the killer bug in 2013.

 

He has had to use a wheelchair and said the disease has affected his speech and other basic functions.

 

In 2014 he wrote in his book Fighting Spirit: “I realised, ‘Damn, I’m really sick. And nothing can make me better’.

 

“It was becoming difficult to swallow. I could hardly tie my laces and could not lift a cup with one hand.

 

“I know I won’t cut meat again. Or drive a car. I don’t have the power.”

 

Ricksen's wife Veronika took to social media to share her delight at the news.

 

She posted: "Everything good Fernando will be at his tribute dinner 8 October!!! Thanks to all people for support and kind words to us. Big thanks to KLM company for solving the misunderstanding."

 

http://www.thescottishsun.co.uk/scotsol/homepage/news/7245002/On-his-way-Fernando-Ricksen-WILL-be-allowed-to-fly-to-Glasgow-for-charity-dinner.html

[JFK-1 1,693]

Both of my cousins were gone in less than 4 years, one was less than 3 if I recall.

 

What makes the disease worse is that mental faculties are still fully developed, but it is the physical which goes. For an energy ball like Fernando it will mentally feel as if he is caged in a straight-jacket in an asylum.

 

It is a terrifying disease !

 

It's what Stephen Hawking has, obviously no deterioration of mental faculties. But Hawking is a rarity in the length of time he has survived with it.