Meghan Markle ’s estranged father, Thomas, was discharged from the hospital just five days after suffering a stroke.
“I feel hugely grateful and know how lucky I am to be alive,” Thomas, 77, told the Daily Mail Sunday. “I want to thank everyone, especially the wonderful doctors and nurses who saved my life. They are angels.”
The man also added he was “deeply moved” by the “loving messages” he received “from all over the world,” adding, “People have been so kind.”
The stroke impacted Thomas’ speech, as the newspaper reported he shared the message by “writing on a whiteboard with a felt-tip pen.”
“I can’t speak right now, but I am working hard and will thank people properly when I can,” he further explained. The Emmy winner noted that he faces an “an uphill battle” but is determined “to get well.”
“I will be here for Dad and do whatever it takes to help him on his road to recovery. It’s been a terrible shock for everyone, but Dad is a strong man,” Thomas Jr., 55, said, adding that his father was already “making great progress” with the help of a speech therapist.
TMZ reported Tuesday that Thomas had been rushed from Mexico, where he lives, to a hospital in San Diego, Calif., with stroke-like symptoms.
His daughter Samantha Markle later told the Daily Mail, “He just needs some rest. It’s a travesty how much he’s been tortured and how much he’s had to go through thanks to my sister [Meghan]’s disregard the past few years. That is unforgivable.”
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While Meghan, 40, has not publicly reacted to the news of her dad’s health scare, a source claimed to the Daily Mirror Saturday that she is “concerned” and “wants to know if there is any way to contact her father privately, without other family knowing about it or having to get involved.”