Toyota Gazoo Racing South Africa is pleased to confirm that Leeroy Poulter is recovering well after surgery to remove an anomalous growth from the right side of his brain. The surgery, which took place on Friday, 23 September, was declared a complete success by Poulter’s surgeon, and there is no doubt that the newly crowned South African National Rally and Cross-Country champion will make a full recovery.
“We’re very happy to report that Leeroy is doing extremely well after the operation,” said his wife, Michela, on Saturday. “He’s been up out of bed and walking around, and he’s recovery is going better than expected.”
Poulter had been struggling with headaches for the past three weeks, and his condition worsened shortly after he completed the recent Toyota Cape Dealer Rally in second place overall, behind teammates Giniel de Villiers and Carolyn Swan.
“A scan revealed that there was a cyst causing the symptoms, but the doctors were confident of finding a way to fully excise the growth,” continued Michela.
The cyst was completely removed during the surgery, and early indications are that it was not malignant. As things stand, Poulter will be returning home during next week, and is looking forward to getting back into a race car as soon as he is able to.