A Liverpool-born man stuck in Turkey because he couldn't pay his medical bills after suddenly falling ill will now be returning home, according to his niece.
A fundraising drive was launched after Saul Daly and his partner Kathleen McLean became trapped in the country during a holiday in the resort of Side. Saul was rushed to an intensive care unit after it was found that he had a bleed in his lungs.
Saul, 56, is originally from Whiston and Kathleen from Glasgow, but have lived in the Belfast area for a number of years.
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Kathleen said he had been given the all-clear to fly home to Belfast to receive further treatment at the Royal Victoria Hospital, however he was unable to do so until his bill for the hospital stay has been paid for. She said the couple had got insurance before going on holiday, but the insurance company was refusing to pay all of the bill, meaning the pair needed to raise £15,000 in order to return home.
But now, thanks to the fundraiser, the couple will be returning home. Saul's niece, Becky O'Connor, from Speke, said: "We were able to raise enough for them to accept a down payment and to arrange a payment plan for the rest of the money.
"He is due to come home today with medical assistance and be taken to his nearest hospital for continued treatment. Meanwhile we will continue to fight with the insurance company to hopefully get the rest covered."
The 30-year-old mum-of-two added: "We are very grateful for all the donations that made it possible and that the care he received from the hospital and staff was incredible - it's just the insurance that we're not happy with everything else has been great."
Kathleen told Belfast Live earlier: "We came out here on May 13 for a two week holiday which was supposed to be a nice relaxing getaway. However after a few days on May 16, Saul started to complain about having a pain in his back, which we felt must have been down to the hotel bed.
"Over the next couple of days this pain only got worse and we asked the hotel manager to organise an appointment with the doctor. But after describing his symptoms an ambulance arrived to take him away for tests.
"At the medical centre Saul had scans and tests done which revealed that he had blood in his lungs and was very sick and was then transferred 85 miles away to Yasam Hospital in Antayla and was blue-lighted the whole way there. The treatment at the hospital has been fantastic and a few days ago Saul was given the all-clear to fly back to Belfast with oxygen so he can get further treatment at the Royal, as he will likely need it for another six months.
"Our problems arose though when we were trying to get our medical bills paid by the insurance company who have been less than helpful with everything. They have said they will only pay less than half of the bill and even told me they would refuse help altogether if we didn't stop trying to contact them.
"All while this has been going on, the medical bill has been getting larger and larger as Saul cannot leave the hospital until it has been paid."
