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Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, has reached out to her dad Thomas after it emerged that he was requiring life-saving treatment after undergoing an amputation of his leg

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Everything you need to know as Meghan Markle reaches out to dad Thomas

• Earlier this week, it emerged that Meghan’s estranged father, Thomas Markle Snr, had been rushed to the hospital and was receiving critical care. Thomas, who now lives in the Philippines, was left concerned after his leg turned black due to a blood clot after he fell ill at his home.
• Shortly after his son, Thomas Jnr, confirmed that Markle Sr. was receiving treatment, it emerged that he had undergone a three-hour operation to remove his leg below the knee. Doctors had warned that if they had not carried out the major operation, there was a high chance that it could have been fatal for Thomas. Thomas Jnr said: “I was told the leg had to be removed, and it was a case of life or death. One of his doctors said the next two or three days are critical.”
• Doctors are now monitoring Thomas Snr around the clock to watch out for any signs of infection, as they had been worried about sepsis or gangrene, as his flesh was “black and dying”.
• The Markle family have requested privacy for Thomas Snr as he recuperates from the major surgery before he is discharged and allowed to return to his home in Cebu, Philippines, where he moved to in 2025.
• Meghan has not had any contact with her father since her wedding to Prince Harry in May 2018. Thomas had been set to attend the wedding at St George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle, but was unable to travel due to suffering two heart attacks on the eve of the wedding.
• Thomas later suffered from a stroke in 2022, which left him unable to speak for some time. However, he regained some speech after undergoing extensive therapy, but his health has continued to decline in recent years.
• But despite public pleas to his daughter and son-in-law, Thomas has never met Harry nor his grandchildren, Prince Archie, six, and Princess Lilibet and has had no contact with the Duchess until now. The breakdown in relations followed his decision to pose for staged paparazzi photographs ahead of the ceremony. Meghan later cut him off after a heated phone call with Harry while Mr Markle was recovering in the hospital.
• Thomas previously said he felt “disrespected” by Harry and Meghan as things that the couple had allegedly said “hurt him” after Harry is said to have told him that he was in the situation after ignoring repeated messages not to speak to members of the press.
• Thomas had previously said his “only wish” was to meet Meghan and Harry’s two children, who are sixth and seventh in line to the throne before he dies.
• On Friday night, a spokesperson for the Duchess of Sussex confirmed that Meghan had “reached out to her father.”
• READ THE FULL STORY: Meghan Markle reaches out to dad Thomas as he fights for life after leg amputation