Hero father, 35, who ‘protected his wife and four-year-old daughter from a sword-wielding killer’ during the Hainaut rampage, says it’s a ‘miracle’ he’s still alive

A hero dad who protected his wife and four-year-old daughter after a sword-wielding attacker burst into their home says it is a “miracle” he and his family were not killed.

Henry De Los Rios Polania said he thought he and his family were about to be massacred at their home in Hainaut, east London, when he woke up to find the attacker standing over him brandishing the weapon.

The 35-year-old fought bravely against the man and suffered deep wounds, forcing doctors to operate on him for ten hours on Tuesday, April 30, in an attempt to save his hand.

The incident was part of a 22-minute rampage through the residential streets of east London by a knifeman, which injured three other people – including two police officers – and killed 14-year-old schoolboy Daniel Anjorin.

The alleged attacker, dual Spanish and Brazilian national Marcus Aurelio Arduini Monzo, 36, has since appeared in court charged with murder, attempted murder and other crimes.

Mr Los Rios Polania, who works as an IT engineer, said the attack had come as a complete shock to him and his family and he was terrified they would not make it out alive.

The father-of-one said he and his wife fell asleep while watching TV the night before, and when he opened his eyes the next morning he was confronted by a knifeman standing in front of them.

He told the BBC: ‘I thought I was going to die, even my wife and child. That morning we thought we were going to die.

“I believe a miracle happened in that room.”

Mr Los Rios Polania, who is from Colombia but has lived in Britain for several years, revealed that he had nothing to defend himself in the bedroom except ‘pillows and teddy bears’.

While he did not go into detail about what happened in the bedroom given the ongoing legal proceedings, he said: “I protected my family… I will do anything for my family.”

In the immediate aftermath of the ‘nightmare’ he was rushed to hospital where doctors feared he could lose his hand as he suffered serious injuries.

But after medics performed a 10-hour operation, he was told there was a possibility his recovery would be better than expected.

However, the mental trauma of the incident remains and Mr Los Rios Polania says he was concerned about the impact it has had on his wife and daughter. He told the BBC that he hopes his little girl “doesn’t remember anything.”

He said his family was grateful for the support their neighbors and their community gave them, but added he was unsure his family would be able to return to their home.

“We just have to find a way out and try to start over,” he said.

‘We have to get on with our lives. All I know is that I will make the next house I enter truly safe. I don’t want anyone to come from outside.’

The father also revealed his sadness at discovering that schoolboy Daniel Anjorin had died in the same disaster, after being attacked moments earlier.

“I feel so sorry for his family… When I got close to the ambulance I saw him lying on the ground… It shouldn’t have happened,” he said.

He previously paid tribute to the boy in a heartbreaking social media post, writing: ‘Daniel Anjorin, we are so sorry. You didn’t deserve such a tragedy.

‘There are no words to express how terrible this is. Our deepest condolences to you and your family. Rest in peace Daniel.

‘Our ears are breaking for you. We will remember you forever, young King!’

Last week he took to social media to thank the emergency services and his family for saving his life.

“I would like to start by thanking all the nurses, paramedics and doctors in the NHS for keeping me alive,” he said, while also expressing gratitude to police “for risking their lives”.

He added: “I am recovering. I have a long journey ahead of me, but I am very sure that this trauma will end soon.”

Mr Los Rios Polania’s sister Jessica, 31, previously branded him a “hero” for his efforts to fight the attacker in his home.

“It’s a very long process to repair his hand because of this wound,” she said, adding, “He’s awake, he’s in the hospital,” but “he’s lost a lot of blood” and “it will be very take a long time’. , a traumatic recovery for him.

“He is devastated to believe that something like this could happen,” she said, adding: “For us, he is our hero. He protected them: my niece and my sister-in-law.

‘They were literally asleep, opened their eyes and saw a man with a large machete.

‘He felt helpless at that moment, but for us he is our hero. It could have been extremely worse.”