Anthony Piovesan
A young British woman who fell five floors from a Spanish hotel and spent six weeks in hospital has finally been flown home.
Tionne Cherae plunged from the balcony of a hotel while on holiday in Girona on September 24, and was rushed to hospital and put into an induced coma.
The 25-year-old’s family then started a desperate mission to bring her home to the UK, pleading with the public for donations to help pay £10,000 for an air ambulance, which they could not afford.
The Olive Press can today reveal that not only has the family achieved its fundraising goal, but also that Cherae was safely flown back home on Friday.
Cherae’s cousin Kia Slade said it was the day loved ones had all been anxiously waiting for.
“This is a very special day and marks the start of a new chapter,” she told the Olive Press.
The former mental health charity worker from Reading and her partner were due to fly home the day of the tragic incident.
Slade said her cousin struggled with mental health and her fall was a suicide attempt amid a BPD (borderline personality disorder) episode.
She said Cherae had attempted suicide in the past and called out UK’s mental health services.
“Tionne has suffered from borderline personality disorders and mental health problems for a large majority of her life,” Slade said.
“We feel Tionne has been let down my the mental health service in the UK, as she has attempted suicide in the past and the after care was almost non-existent.
“She has been reaching out for help for many years and has failed to get any further support.”
Cherae was in a coma until doctors at Josep Trueta Hospital in Girona deemed it safe for the British tourist to undergo surgery.
First she had surgery on her jaw, which was where her most severe bone break was.
Then she underwent surgery to repair her broken pelvis and tibia.
The family was expecting her treatment to cost upwards of £20,000.
An online gofundme was set up with the target of raising £30,000, and had so far raised £33,945.
“We really cannot thank everyone enough for all the donations and love and support, this would not be possible without your help,” Slade said.
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