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Salman Rushdie is still in a critical condition, but his usual feisty and defiant sense of humour remains intact, his son has said, as the Mumbai-born author battles severe, life-changing injuries.
Rushdie, 75, was taken off a ventilator on Saturday and could talk after he was stabbed on stage at a literary event in New York state on Friday.
His son, Zafar Rushdie, said on Sunday that the family was “extremely relieved” that the best-selling author was taken off the ventilator and additional oxygen on Saturday and he was able to say a few words.
“Following the attack on Friday, my father remains in a critical condition in hospital receiving extensive ongoing medical treatment,” he said in a statement posted on Twitter.
“Though his life-changing injuries are severe, his usual feisty and defiant sense of humour remains intact,” he said.
The family expressed gratitude to the audience members who bravely leapt to Rushdie’s defence and administered first-aid after he was stabbed multiple times at the Chautauqua Institution in western New York.
The family thanked the police and doctors for their care. They also expressed gratitude for the “outpouring of love and support from around the world.” “We ask for continued patience and privacy as the family comes together at his bedside to support and help him through this time,” the statement said.
