A Leeds pensioner is "trapped" in a Greek hospital after breaking his hip while on holiday.
Jimmy Greaves recently flew out to Greek island Corfu at the start of July, But his holiday went downhill when he fell out of his bed on July 5 and was rushed to hospital in an ambulance.
The 88-year-old was taken to a hospital on the island with no family around him. His loved ones are "desperate" to get him home to NHS health care - or they will have to fork out a hefty £22,000 for surgery.
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His daughter Karen said the ordeal is "heart-breaking" and the family say he has been left in a poor condition.
She added: "His bedding has not been changed at all since he arrived. The hospital have, so far, refused to perform his operation [on his hip], saying he has to be seven days without his blood thinners - despite advice from UK medical professionals telling them otherwise.
"They are unable to help him with his pressure areas, as they cannot move him, so he is likely to have bed sores." She pleaded: "We are desperate to get dad home to Leeds General Infirmary so that he can have his vital surgery and receive the care he so desperately needs."
"Because of the poor care he's currently receiving, if he had the operation over there, he would not be home for another month." Karen explained that if he had a hip operation in Corfu he could be waiting up to a month for the surgery.
The insurance company the family are paying for for Jimmy's health say the £300 they are currently paying weekly will not cover the costs of the repatriation that the 88-year-old needs, Karen added.
"The insurance providers have warned us the cost is going to be about £22,000 - which we will have to pay out of our own pocket. As a family, we just do not have this amount of money."
Two of his three daughters are now caring for their dad and are beside his bed in the hospital. His niece claimed that the hospital was short-staffed which is why he is not getting the care he needs.
"We were informed that there are no private nurses on the island available and so my sisters have been caring for our dad 24/7 whilst he lays in bed", daughter Karen said.
"We can't let him spend his days and nights in that state - we are heartbroken already and as a family we are dreading an even worse outcome. Please, please, please, help us to bring dad home, we are desperate", she pleads.
In an update on Tuesday (July 12), his daughter explained that if the family can raise £5,000 the insurance company will book an air ambulance for him this week and fly him back to Leeds.
She said: "After some tough negotiations with the insurance company they have finally agreed to part fund his air ambulance - with the family having pulled together some money outside of this campaign - leaving us with a smaller target of £5,000 to raise which feels much less stressful.
"The hospital know we are trying to get him airlifted so they have taken the prospect of an operation off the table. Which in some ways is good - the state of the care he is diabolical, but as each day passes this affects his chances of a full recovery after such a long time not being treated.
"We have no choice but to keep asking for help." After setting up a Go Fund Me page the family have been able to raise £2,840.
But they need to raise another £2,160 to get their loved one back to Leeds. "We are in a frustrating stage of limbo at the moment - still waiting for the final confirmation that he has an Air Ambulance sorted to get him home", his daughters added.
To donate to the Go Fund Me fundraiser to bring Jimmy home click here.
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