Gill Taylor-Scarth, 56, had just lost her husband Kevin when she was diagnosed with a brain tumour – but she decided to go on a big family holiday to Turkey which her hubby had organised
A critically-ill grandmother is stranded in Turkey after being told there were no beds available back home on the NHS.
Gill Taylor-Scarth, 56, from Formby, jetted off to Hisaronu in Fethiye, Turkey on August 15 to enjoy a “big family holiday” organised by her husband Kevin before his death in December.
The 65-year-old had pulled out all the stops for the two-week getaway for Gill, their kids, their grandchildren and members of the extended family.
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Despite being diagnosed with a brain tumour just weeks after Kevin died, she decided to go on the trip as one of her husband’s last wishes was for the family to enjoy the holiday together, reports the ECHO.
Only a few days into the holiday, Gill began feeling unwell. Sophie, 25, said: “She was off balance, she was taking afternoon naps and drinking lots of water. Then she started complaining of a headache, but she seemed okay. On Saturday [August 23] she was really unwell; she was in the hotel room and couldn’t keep anything down.”
The family considered flying her home but were warned it might not be safe. A doctor was called to the hotel and quickly arranged for Gill to be transferred to a private hospital in Antalya. There, doctors told the family she urgently needed surgery. They warned she faced only a slight chance of survival and that, even in the best case, she could be left completely paralysed because of the tumour’s position on her brain stem.
Despite the family’s wish to bring her back to the UK first, surgeons in Turkey carried out an eight-hour operation on August 26. Sophie said: “The hospital said it was too dangerous to wait any longer and took her for surgery here, despite us wanting to wait until we could get her back to the UK.
“She made it through surgery and the surgeon said they are happy with how it went. She’s stable at the moment and we’re hoping to get her home as soon as possible on a medical flight, if she’s in the position to do that. It’s been a nightmare.”
Sophie claims the family has since been told Gill cannot be flown back to Liverpool because no bed is currently available for her at The Walton Centre, where she had been receiving cancer treatment before the trip.
In response, a spokesperson for The Walton Centre said: “We are working closely with the family and the insurance company on the next steps in order to repatriate in a medically appropriate way. All patients must be assessed rigorously to ensure appropriate admission.”
Sophie said: “We are really struggling to get her home. It’s been nearly one month since she took ill and she’s stuck in hospital, where they don’t speak English. She’s really agitated and frustrated because she just wants to go home.
“She is crying daily; it’s mentally affecting her. It’s been a complete nightmare. I’m really worried about her mental health and physical health; she’s contracted pneumonia since the surgery, and she is getting worse.”
Sophie added: “The worst part is she is fully aware of her surroundings but she’s immobile and her speech has completely gone; they’ve said there is a chance it won’t come back.”
She also said: “I don’t understand why she can’t just go to the Royale or somewhere instead. The family are flying back and forth, which is costing more money. I have a two-year-old at home who I can’t see because I’m here with mum. We just want her home.”