A mother is fighting for her life after plummeting down hotel stairs and hitting her head – when an infection from mosquito bites made her faint.
Emma Hickey and her partner Stephen Brougham took their two children to Costa Adeje, Tenerife, Spain, on June 13th for a sun-soaked 12-day getaway.
But just 10 days into the trip, the mother-of-two woke up with a ‘really bad case’ of mosquito bites so went to hospital and was prescribed injections.
Despite feeling unwell for the next few days the 42-year-old carer ‘soldiered through the holiday’ for the sake of her family.
But as they walked down the hotel staircase on their way to a pharmacy on June 23, Ms Hickey complained of feeling dizzy before suddenly collapsing and falling head-first onto a concrete step.
Mr Brougham, 44, says it was ‘horrific’ to watch his partner convulsing on the concrete steps after passing out and she was immediately rushed to hospital.
A hospital CT scan revealed she had a brain bleed and neck fractures so she was put in an induced coma.
Now a friend of the family has set up a GoFundMe page to support plasterer Mr Brougham and the two children, aged seven and 13, while they are stranded in Tenerife waiting for Ms Hickey to recover.
He says it could be ‘a very long time’ until his partner is well enough to fly home and he is unsure if the travel insurance will cover the soaring medical costs.
Mr Brougham, from Dublin, Ireland, said: ‘We came away for a lovely family holiday and it’s been a living nightmare.
‘She was feeling a bit dizzy and she collapsed and fell from the second last step of the upper staircase down below onto the other set of stairs head-first without raising her arm to protect herself.
‘She passed out on the steps and started convulsing, she was in a terrible state.
‘It’s been horrific because I actually witnessed the fall and how bad the fall was. That’s a mental scar that I’ll never forget. Words can’t describe how bad it is.’
Mr Brougham called an ambulance, which rushed his partner to hospital and a CT scan revealed she had suffered a brain bleed and needed an operation.
Doctors discovered some fractures in her neck and she was then put in an induced coma and will remain in intensive care until she wakes up.
Mr Brougham said: ‘They did an operation and there were blood clots on the brain that had been putting some pressure on the brain.
‘They’re not saying what impact the pressure on the brain of the blood clot will have after she comes round.
‘There could be secondary issues there so in the meantime she’s just been on the machine.
‘She hasn’t felt well all week so we can only presume that the mosquito bites, the medication, the heat and the fact she tried to soldier through the holiday just for the sake of the kids [caused it].
‘They were draining the life out of her and they’re all over her body, dozens and dozens.
‘They looked uncomfortable and you could see that they were sore. They turned into bruises. I can only connect the two.’
Mr Brougham, who is self-employed, and is searching for alternative accommodation for him and children Sophie Hickey, 13, and Bobby Hickey, seven.
He is hoping the travel insurance will help the rising medical costs after reviewing her medical records.
Mr Brougham said: ‘We have got health insurance but at the moment they’re making us jump a few hoops just before they commit to whether they’re covering us or not.
‘We know that hospital is $1,400 a day so we’re going to have a significant medical bill.
‘The hotel we’re staying in at the moment is an expensive hotel. Then just feeding the kids and keeping them occupied. I’m not working now because I’m over here.
‘The support has been overwhelming and incredible. We’re lucky to have friends and family like that.
‘[The fundraiser] is very important because it’s going to be a long process. We don’t know how long yet. It could be a very long time that we’re over here with her until she’s in a position to fly home.
‘We need to be over here by her side and we don’t want to go anywhere without her.’
He’s now encouraging others to ensure they get travel insurance and to be aware of the dangers of insects abroad.
Mr Brougham said: ‘It’s not something we ever considered how bad a bite could be. It’s amazing how much pain a little tiny insect can have on you.
‘We wouldn’t have considered [repellent]. We weren’t aware of the mosquito bites.
‘We go away all the time and it’s not something to be worried about. You definitely need to be aware what sort of effect these insects can have on you.
‘It’s important to have travel insurance. The hospital won’t do much if you haven’t got it. Try to get a good policy.’
