A Brit trapped in Spain is suffering a holiday from hell as she has been forced to miss vital cancer treatment after her health took a turn for the worse and she was “abandoned” in a hospital.
Kelly and partner Andrew Timms along with her parents Trevor and Leslie Haughton travelled to Tenerife on a long overdue holiday, for a break before the latest round of Kelly’s cancer treatment began.
However, what should have been a dream getaway has turned into a “nightmare” as they found themselves not knowing when they’ll be flown back to the UK after Kelly’s health took a turn for the worse - and their insurers, May Day Assistance, have left them without answers.
Now relying on May Day to provide an air ambulance to get home, it was already cancelled once on Friday 12 August and rescheduled for Monday 15 August - before the family were told over the weekend it had been cancelled again.
Now on their 17th day in limbo, the family are at their wits' end as Kelly is stuck in a hospital where partner Andrew said she feels “abandoned” by nurses and has been left lying in her own wee.
The family won't be able to fly Kelly back until May Day organise an air ambulance for them they claim, but they have no idea when this might be.
Andrew said there was a bed in Salford Royal Hospital lined up, but as of yet, no way to get Kelly there.
Andrew and Kelly’s parents meanwhile have forked out over £6,000 collectively and bounced between three hotels as they do their best to support her. They are hoping their insurance will help with the costs.
Kelly was diagnosed with sarcoma, a rare form of cancer that affects the body’s soft tissue, back in November 2019.
That, and the onset of the Covid pandemic pushed back their holiday originally, which was delayed again when the cancer returned in September 2021.
Then more recently, after rounds of chemotherapy, the rare cancer began affecting 39-year-old Kelly once more, leading to her being set up for another round of treatment, which was due to start last Tuesday.
After fighting her cancer so bravely for so long, the family booked a getaway in Tenerife from July 29 to August 5, meaning they would’ve been back in good time.
But on the second day of the holiday Kelly began screaming in agony. Andrew, 56, said: “This seven day holiday has turned into hell - we’re on our sixteenth day.
“Kelly became poorly on the second day of her holiday so we got a doctor out but she started screaming so we got to hospital.”
However, Kelly’s ongoing time in hospital was described as a “nightmare” by her partner who said she often called them crying in the morning.
“Some nights she’s just abandoned on the bed and she’ll press the button and no one will appear,” Andrew said.
“She has to have a bedpan which is demoralising and they don’t come straight away and she makes a mess on the bed and she rings us up in the morning crying in a state and we come over and they say we can’t come in, and we say 'no we are coming in'.”
Kelly has a prosthetic leg after a tragic incident related to the cancer back in 2020. After the diagnosis in November the previous year, on April 20, 2020 Kelly went into hospital to have the tumour at the top of one of her legs removed.
There were complications, especially linked to circulation, but she was eventually able to be discharged and return home.
But only a few days after this her leg burst. Andrew described there being “blood everywhere”
Thankfully they were able to get Kelly to hospital but around a month later on May 25, they were told by doctors that either they lost Kelly or they amputated her leg.
Now the family are trapped abroad however, having to continually rearrange their flights home as they desperately wait for an air ambulance thanks to what they think is further complications with the sarcoma.
However they aren't certain and have found the Spanish hospital dreadful at communicating.
They were originally told the air ambulance was ready to fly them out on Friday August 12, but the family only found out that had been cancelled when Andrew rang up.
They have since been in contact with the British consular locally who are trying to support them but have forked out over £6,000 collectively and moved through three hotels since the horrific nightmare began.
Then on August 14 they were called by their insurers, May Day Assistance, and told that a potential flight the next day wouldn't be taking place because there were no beds available to move her into.
This means the family don't know when Kelly will finally be flown home so she can begin her cancer treatment.
May Day Assistance has been approached for comment.
A spokesperson for TUI said: "We’re very sorry to hear about Mrs Timms’ experience and understand how distressing it must be.
"We’re aware that Mrs Timms’ travel insurance provider is now in contact with her and our team in resort remain on hand to support the family in any way we can."
