Fiona Govan
THE family of a woman who became seriously ill after suffering a severe bout of food poisoning while on holiday in Gran Canaria has launched a public appeal for donations to fly her home.
Jennifer Wardle, 70, from Middlesbrough has been stranded in the Canary Islands with her family unable to pay the eye-watering €30,000 plus needed for a medical evacuation after her insurance company refused to pay out.
The family have launched a gofundme page in a desperate bid to raise the cash needed to bring her home.
Writing on the appeal page her daughter Mandy, 49, explained: “I recently went on holiday with my mam and my mam took very ill there and was put on life support.”
She later explained to her local paper Teeside Live: “We arrived on holiday on November 8. On the 10th she was in hospital, on the 11th she was on life support.”
“At first they were saying it was pneumonia and an infection. Then there was talk of a blood clot. Now they are saying it was the food she was eating (on holiday).”
Mandy explained that despite having full holiday insurance, their claim has been rejected because of a pre-existing chest infection that was treated before the holiday began.
The grandmother may has now been moved out of intensive care but she still needs oxygen and a special plane to take her home.
“Without a mediplane, I don’t think we will get her back for Christmas,” the family said.
“She has grandchildren and great grandchildren. All they want is to get her home.”
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