A Scots family's holiday to Tenerife turned into a living 'nightmare' after a grandmother fractured her shoulder and spine while unpacking.
May Drysdale, 75, from Midlothian jetted off to the Canary Islands on April 7 with her daughter Debbie, 37, and six-year-old granddaughter Katie as a celebration after she beat breast cancer, reports Edinburgh Live.
However soon after they arrived at their all inclusive resort things took a turn for the worse when May slipped and fell as she unpacked her suitcase.
Debbie explained how she was getting her daughter's swim suit on when she heard a loud thud followed by screams from her mum. She raced through to see what had happened and found her mum lying on the floor badly injured.
Debbie raised the alarm and a member of staff at the hotel called a doctor. When he arrived he immediately called for an ambulance to get May to hospital.
May had fractured her spine and shoulder and has spent the last week in hospital but she also developed an infection and was taken into intensive care. Nurse practitioner Debbie has had to phone the consulate and her travel agent, Jet2, and try to work out where she stands with her insurance company.
Her friend Sheena set up a GoFundMe page to help with the costs while Debbie and her daughter stayed in Tenerife to be with her mum.
Debbie said: "My mum had chemotherapy last year for breast cancer and had two major operations. The first one didn't work and they managed to get the cancer out during the second.
"The doctor back home gave her the all-clear to go on holiday and enjoy herself. We booked it for the Easter holidays so my daughter wasn't disrupted from school. Everything was going so well. We got through the airport and security quickly and landed with no issues.
"We were told to wait on the room while it was being cleaned. My mum was unpacking her case and I was putting on my daughter's swim suit so I didn't see what happened but all of a sudden I heard an almighty bang and she was screaming.
"She was on the floor and said 'I can't move'". I ran down to the reception and the man came up and tried to help her up but I said we need an ambulance. He got a doctor and my mum waited on the floor for an hour.
"When the doctor came he took one look at her and said 'ambulance'. The ambulance came and they lifted her from the floor. She was taken to hospital and me and my daughter jumped in the back of the ambulance."
May is due to be released from intensive care today but her ordeal is not close to being over. Doctors informed Debbie that her mum needs urgent surgery on her back or she may be paralysed.
Debbie continued: "Me and my daughter have been on our own but luckily my mum's friend who stays out here managed to organise accommodation near the hospital for us. I've also been able to let Katie visit my mum's friend while I go to the hospital as anyone under 12 is not allowed.
"It has just been one nightmare after another. The member of staff who called the doctor asked if my mum was up in the apartment a few days later and I said no she's in hospital with a fractured spine and shoulder. I just don't think he understood how serious it was.
"Her arm is strapped up but they think her shoulder should heal in the next few weeks. I've been making lots of phone calls to lots of people like the consulate, Jet2 and the insurance company.
"It has been very very stressful and I've been doing it on my own with a six-year-old. I have been to the hospital every day and obviously the conditions there aren't as good as in the UK. Times like this you really appreciate the NHS as she is just being given medical care, not personal care.
"I had to type in on Google translate that she needed to be washed and changed because they couldn't understand. My work have been very understanding as it's obviously a horrendous situation.
"I don't know how long I'm going to be here but I'm so humbled by the support of people back home who have sent messages and donated. It's so nice seeing the community coming together when something like this happens."
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