Hero Hainault dad 'almost lost hand' as he 'used teddy bear to stop Samurai attacker'

A heroic east London dad has revealed how he woke up to find a man brandishing a Samurai sword in his bedroom, in a terrifying attack which left him in hospital. Henry de los Rio Polania, who lives in Hainault, says he thought he was "going to die" as the violent incident unfolded on Tuesday, April 30.

"I thought we were going to die," said Henry, recalling the horror as he tried to defend himself with pillows and teddy bears from his daughter's room. He admits he came perilously close to losing his hand and fingers during the horrific encounter.

Caroline, his wife, and their four-year-old daughter Celeste were also at home at the time of the attac.

Schoolboy Daniel Anjorin, 14, was tragically killed outside the same residence while heading to school. His alleged killer Marcus Monzo, who is accused of "virtually decapitating" the young teen - appeared at Westminster Magistrates' Court earlier this week.

The 36-year-old has since been charged with Daniel's horrific murder, among other offences including two counts of attempted murder, two counts of grievous bodily harm, one count of aggravated burglary, and possession of a bladed article.

Henry, who was seriously injured in an attack, was discharged from the hospital on Wednesday, May 8, and will return next week for a second surgery on his hand. It is anticipated that his recovery will take up to three years.

Henry shared about how traumatising the incident has been for his family who have now moved into his mother's Redbridge flat whilst they find alternate accommodation.

The 35-year-old told MyLondon: "I lost my job as an IT consultant in January, so I was just doing a small lighting consultancy work to get money in the meantime. It will affect me in the long term, I'm right handed and that's the hand that was nearly cut off."

He added that the life-changing injuries mean he will have to rely more on his left arm, requiring extensive therapy before he can resume work. He said: "I'll need to start using my left arm which could take time. I need a lot of therapy and to recover more until I can work again. We felt safe in the area before the attack, I don't know how it happened. But now it won't feel safe for us."

In an effort to support Henry and his family, the Hainault community has established a GoFundMe page, raising more nearly £700 towards their goal of £5,000 so far.

Despite the trauma, there are those in London who recognize his bravery in defending his family against the thugs. He extended a heartfelt thank you for the "unbelievable support", adding: "I have to believe that I did my best to protect my family. I think I did what I was supposed to do, what every father should do for their family."