ON BOXING Day 2004, a tsunami in the Indian Ocean killed more than 275,000 people.

It hit 14 countries across two continents.

The last two casualties were swept out to sea in South Africa, 12 hours after a 98-ft wave hit Thailand.

Although the disaster happened thousands of miles away, it had far-reaching consequences, claiming the lives of 91 British people and affecting people from Dorset.

Dr Max Mackay-James, his wife Miranda and two sons, from Wynford Eagle near Dorchester, were staying in a resort in Sri Lanka when the tsunami struck.

They managed to gather their belongings and flee to the top floor of their hotel.

The incident was life-changing.

For Dr Mackay-James, it altered his whole approach to work.

Within weeks he had pioneered Trauma Resource which provided help for the long-term physical and mental scars of the trauma.

He spoke to the Echo shortly before the tenth anniversary of the Boxing Day disaster.

He said: “The trauma from the tsunami was enormous.

“There was a large amount of grief, emotional and mental scars that I felt were very important to deal with.”

Although the scale of the disaster was not unprecedented, the response was. Around US$14bn was raised in aid.

And Dr Mackay-James’ Dorset fundraising made a significant contribution.

But he was keen that it would not just be about distributing medical aid; he wanted to ensure the community could become self sufficient. He teamed up with Indian Ocean Disaster Relief (IODR) on the Weligama Community Welfare and Education Centre.

After around two or three years, the focus became ensuring it was sustainable and that local people could maintain it themselves.

“It was always about building up people’s capabilities so they are looking after themselves,” said Dr Mackay-James.

“That’s really happened within the last four or five years.

“I am very pleased with the way the Weligama centre worked out.

“It was about building something that was long-lasting, of real value to the communities.”

As for the long-term effect on Dr Mackay-James, it changed his whole career.

“It was a life-changing experience. My whole approach being totally medically orientated became community-orientated.

“I wanted to work directly in a programme, rather than having to be in a great big system like the NHS.

“Rather than being just: ‘We will give you things that you need’ it’s enabling the community to stand on its own two feet.

“It was about how we change people’s lives, rather than just handing out medicine,” he said.

Since the disaster, Dr Mackay-James has continued with his charity work.

He will be doing more work specifically in Dorset in 2015, which will be featured in the Echo at a later date.