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A SCOTS teacher who impaled himself on a rusty fence in China is appealing for help to try pay soaring hospital bills.

Chris Blair was making his way home from a friend’s house in Shanghai last Wednesday when he attempted to climb over a wall in a housing complex and lost his footing.

The talented guitar player - who is teaching English to kids - fell and watched the spike go through his right arm leaving him screaming in agony.

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The 29-year-old’s pleas for help initially fell on deaf ears due to the language barrier but local residents eventually came to his aid.

He was rushed to hospital - with the fence still attached to him - and had emergency surgery to remove it.

But the tendons and nerves had already been damaged leaving Chris facing another operation next week. His bills are going to cost around £10,000.

Chris, who is from Edinburgh and is teaching English in China, said: “I tried to get my way out of the complex but in China the complexes can be very big and you have to go past security.

“But I couldn’t find the exit anywhere. I saw there was a wall next to this horrible, jagged fence and I decided to just climb the wall because I couldn’t find any other way out.

“As I got on top of the wall, my foot slipped and my arm went right through the fence. I saw the spike going through - at first I couldn’t believe it had actually happened.

“It was quite late at night, maybe about 2am or 3am so I had to scream for help.

“And obviously everybody speaks Chinese so I was trying my best Chinese that I know to ask for help.”

One resident who heard Chris’s screams initially thought it was a joke and shut his window but as the pleas continued, he came down for a closer look.

The man then stood rooted to the spot at the shocking sight in front of him before calling the emergency services.

(Image: CEN)

Chris continued: “They cut me loose from the fence and took me to hospital and eventually got the operation to get the fence out of my arm.

“I had the gate on top of me the whole way to the hospital in the ambulance.

“The surgeon had to peel back all of my skin from the whole arm and they had to cut half my arm to get it open to take the spike out.

“They couldn’t pull it out in case they caught an artery. The next operation is so they can work on my tendons and nerves because they’re a bit knackered.

“I can hardly move my fingers and I’m worried because I want to be able to play guitar again but I’ve just got to take it one day at time.”

Chris, who has recently recovered from a broken neck following a bike crash in Malaysia, thought he was insured through his school.

But that wasn’t the case and his worried mum Sharon Laws, 49, scrambled to get funds together to pay for the first £2000 operation.

A JustGiving page has now been launched to help raise funds and has secured £2700 so far.

Chris, who is known as accident prone by his loved ones, added: “I can’t believe how giving people have been even though I’m in another country.

“Being so far away from home, it’s really helps you mentally to know that there are other people at the other end of the world trying to help you and do their best for you.

“I need to be less stupid. I thought I was insured by my school that’s why I didn’t buy any but it turns out that is not the case.

“The first thing I’m going to do is definitely have a McDonald’s cheeseburger and get some insurance.”

:: Chris's JustGiving page can be found here