Meghan Markle reached out to her estranged father, Thomas Markle, following his emergency leg amputation, Page Six can confirm.
âI can confirm she has reached out to her father,â a spokesperson for the former actress said in a statement.
Page Six reported earlier Friday that Thomas had his left leg amputated below the knee after a blood clot blocked circulation and his foot became discolored. Meghan reportedly instructed her aides to find out how her father was doing after hearing the news.
According to the 81-year-oldâs son, Thomas Markle Jr., the procedure took place in the Philippines.
âMy dad is being very brave. His foot turned blue and then black. It happened very quickly,â he told the Daily Mail Thursday.
The three-hour surgery came after Thomas Markle, Jr. said medical staff âdid some scans and an ultrasound and said the leg had to be amputated.â
The retired lighting director was subsequently transported via ambulance to a facility in Cebu, where he was immediately rushed into surgery to have the limb removed.
Thomas Jr. explained that they had âno optionâ but to agree to the amputation as it was âa case of life or death.â
Meghanâs father is facing an additional procedure to remove a blood clot in his left thigh as the urgent situation unfolds.
Doctors are âextremely concerned,â Thomas Jr. told the outlet.
âOne of his doctors said the next two or three days are critical. His left leg has been removed below the knee. They were worried about infection setting in â sepsis or gangrene. The flesh was black and dying,â Thomas Jr. shared.
He added that there âwas no option givenâ in a dire medical emergency.
âIt was either, âWe have to operate now and remove the leg, or he may die.â It was a life-threatening situation,â Thomas Jr. explained.
Thomas Jr. initially told the outlet on Dec. 2 that his father had entered the intensive care unit after an emergency procedure.
Meghanâs half-sister, Samantha Markle, expressed hope that their father could weather the stresses of the surgery.
âMy father has been through two heart attacks, a stroke and an earthquake,â she told the outlet. âI hope he can pull through this.â
Thomas Sr. â who welcomed Meghan with ex Doria Ragland and Samantha and Thomas Jr. with his first ex-wife, Roslyn Markle â missed Meghan and Prince Harryâs 2018 royal nuptials due to heart surgery.
He subsequently suffered a stroke in Tijuana in 2022.
The Duchess of Sussexâs family has been known to be at odds with her. Recently, Thomas Jr. criticized what he called her âgenericâ Netflix series, âWith Love, Meghan,â in comments made back in March.
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