My son is a man and a half: Father of British teenager stabbed 17 times for 'kissing a Turkish girl' speaks about his incredible recovery

Adapted from Daily Mail

http://www.dailymail.co.uk

The father of a British teenager who was stabbed 17 times while on holiday in Turkey said his son is a 'man-and-a-half'.

Dwayne Ward, 17, is recovering in hospital today after a five hour operation and a blood transfusion following the attack, in which he was stripped naked and left for dead.

His father Wayne, 52, said his son has sat up in hospital and has refused to be broken by the ordeal.

The builder said he was terrified his son would die but said he has shown the 'courage of 10 men'.

He told The Sunday Mirror: 'I can't tell you how proud I am of him. You can't imagine what he's endured but it hasn't damaged his spirit.

'It’s me that keeps crying – it’s just so overwhelming what they did to him. '

Mr Ward, who flew out to his son's bedside on Friday, said the teenager has even asked for a McDonald's from hospital.

Dwayne, from Middlesbrough, was found with his wrists slashed and his body soaked in blood in a garden in the Tepe district of Marmaris by locals.

He had cuts to his throat, chest, groin, legs and back and had been stabbed in the chest, puncturing his lung.

He had been enjoying a night out on Tuesday with his brother Darren, 32, at the resort's Bar Street the night before the attack when he bought a drink in exchange for a kiss from a barmaid.

Two local men, Attila Dincer, 26, and a man named only as Ismail A, 24, have been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder and robbery.

Dincer was arrested in the early hours of Thursday morning and shortly after Ismail from Aksaray, was arrested on a bus in Konya, 354 miles away.

About 270 officers have been deployed on the case and they have trawled through footage from 217 CCTV cameras. 

Footage shows Dwayne being grabbed and pulled down an alley by at least two men in the early hours of Tuesday morning.

Darren returned to the hotel alone but CCTV footage later showed Dwayne being
grabbed and bundled down an alley by at least two men in the early hours.

Wayne Ward said his son does not remember the attack and hopes the memories do not return

Dwayne's mother Doris, 51, who had been on the holiday with her two sons, has been by his bedside since Tuesday.

She said that when Dwayne regained consciousness he asked her if he was going to die.

She told The Sun: 'We hope he never remembers. They left him for dead.'

Speaking from the family home on Stockton Road, Middlesbrough, Dwayne's other brother
Lewis said: 'It is a hard time for us all. We are just taking things day by day, step by step. He is stable.'

Dwayne's uncle, Vincent Ward, said that the teenager had been moved out of intensive care and has been on his feet.

Carolyn Ward, Dwayne's aunt, added: 'He is making quite considerable progress considering the level of violence he has suffered.

'The family are devastated and disgusted at what has happened.