Liberal MP Joyce Murray’s son critically hurt on Mexican honeymoon

OTTAWA – The son of Liberal MP Joyce Murray is awaiting a medical evacuation from Mexico to Vancouver after suffering severe injuries during his honeymoon in Cancun.

Murray said her son Erik Brinkman fell from a height early Monday and underwent extensive surgery at a local hospital to stabilize multiple fractures.

She and other family members arrived to support him and his wife, Arianna, later that day.

Brinkman will require many more surgeries, she said.

"He has been amazingly strong so far in dealing with this very difficult situation and we are optimistic about his recovery," Murray said in a Friday statement.

Brinkman has not yet been transported because he needed transfusions of O-negative blood, which was in short supply nearby.

Public Facebook posts were widely shared asking for help and brought out donors who, alongside two family members with matching blood types, are expected to supply enough blood for Brinkman to be stabilized for transport.

"We want to thank all those who have reached out in love and support and are keeping Erik and his wife in their thoughts and prayers," said Murray. "It’s an extremely difficult time for our family and I would respectfully ask for privacy for us at this time."

Murray was first elected in Vancouver Quadra in 2008 and is the parliamentary secretary to the president of the Treasury Board. She was previously an MLA in British Columbia from 2001 to 2005.

Murray has two sons and a daughter with her husband, Dirk Brinkman. They founded the tree-planting company Brinkman Group in 1979.

Their other son is Canadian rapper and playwright Baba Brinkman.