Thousands of pounds has been raised for a Welsh tourist who was stabbed three times and left for dead as he celebrated a friend's stag do in Portugal.
More than £7,000 has been raised for Alex Evans, from Treherbert, since the terrifying attack just 100m from the hotel he was staying in. The father-of-one spent several days in intensive care battling for his life, and had to have major surgery, after being left for dead.
His parents Bev and Paul are by his side, and they say he still has a way to go before he is able to travel home to be with his partner Leah, son Harry, sister Ellie and nephew Charlie.
Family back home in Wales have been overwhelmed with support as they wait for news on the 32-year-old's condition.
Sister Ellie says: "The care he has had off the hospital has been amazing. I have spoken to my parents in Portugal and they are overwhelmed with the amount of support from the community, friends and family. Everyone has pulled together and just offered so much help care and get well wishes. The fundraising, has blown us away and shows how cared and loved Alex is."
Alex was with a group of eight friends at the resort of Albufeira when they became separated after a night out. They all went back to the hotel to wait for each other, but the alarm was raised when they realised Alex had not picked up the keys for his room.
Friend Chris Langley, who was also on the trip, said they realised something bad had happened when two detectives turned up at the hotel.
"We had already tried the local hospitals, but feared the worst when we saw them," he said. "The language barrier was difficult, and at first we didn't realise how seriously he had been injured. We thought they had just taken him to hospital to sleep off the night out, but then we got a phone call from Alex's mum back in Wales and she said she had been told he had been stabbed."
He says the police would not give them much information because they weren't family, but they later learned he was critically ill in hospital.
"It was such a shock," said Chris. "All we could do was wait at the hotel for news."
Alex's mum and dad flew out to Portugal to be with their son, and his friends set up a fundraising page for Alex and his family when they returned home to Wales.
"We had to do something," says Chris. "We live in a fantastic close community and anyone who knows Alex knows how much of happy, genuine and loyal friend he is and how much his family means to him.
"This is why we are asking our community, friends and family near and far to help assist the family of the financial burden that has been caused by this traumatic event."
The family and friends were also desperately trying to trace a man who they believe helped save Alex's life. The local man found him and instead of waiting for an ambulance took him to hospital. An act that doctors have said saved his life.
Chris says: "The man found him and instead of ringing an ambulance, this man put him in his car and took him to the hospital in Faro. If this man had not taken these steps doctors said Alex would not have made it."
After trying to get information for the man, the family were given his details by the police.
His friends are also warning other heading abroad on stag dos over the summer to try and keep together.
"We chose this resort because we thought it was safer than some of the others," says Chris. "It just shows that it can happen to anyone, anywhere, and we would just urge people to stick together as much as they can, and try not to walk anywhere alone."
Details of the fundraising page can be found here.
