British tourist in Benidorm hospital needs urgent medical repatriation back to the UK

A 28-year-old from Stoke-On-Trent is in critical condition in Benidorm hospital and urgently needs repatriation back to the UK for emergency treatment. Jack Stone went to the popular holiday resort in the Costa Blanca in April to celebrate his birthday, but the Type-1 diabetic suddenly collapsed in the street on April 21st and ended up in the intensive care unit of the Marina Baixa hospital.

The initial diagnosis on admission said that his collapse was due to hypoglycaemic encephalopathy (extremely low blood sugar levels), and he was immediately taken straight to ICU where surgeons performed a tracheotomy and inserted a feeding tube.

As a result of hydrocephalus, a build-up of fluid, Jack also suffered seizures and swelling of the brain, but although it is still too early to offer a full prognosis, the hospital doctors think he may have suffered brain damage.

Jack’s family are desperate to fly him back to the UK, but they have discovered that he didn’t declare that he is a Type 1 Diabetic on the holiday insurance forms, so he is not covered for repatriation costs.

Three days after he was hospitalised, his mother flew to Spain to be at his bedside. She quickly learned that her son’s possessions had mysteriously disappeared, including his passport and mobile phone.

She is receiving much-needed assistance from the British Benevolent Fund, an organisation based in Spain, which as it says on its website, aims is to provide financial help to British citizens in distress without any other recourses, whether they be tourists or residents.

HELP volunteers have also been supporting her at the hospital with interpreting and translating, and helping her to understand the process and the medical diagnosis (and prognosis) from doctors.

The hospital consultant has informed her that Jack is in no way fit to fly unless accompanied by trained medical professionals, so there have been subsequent conversations about using a land ambulance, and the options are still being discussed.

In the meantime, Jack’s discharge sheet has just been completed and he has been moved to the traumatology ward, and the consultant is insistent that going overland would not be suitable.

So far, the family have been quoted around €25,000 by a UK-based company to fly Jack home, but they don’t have sufficient funds, and the British consulate is also unable to help with funding repatriation.

Due to this a family friend has set up a crowdfunding page on social media and a fund-raising event is being held in his home town this weekend. An emergency travel document has been obtained by the BBF to allow Jack to fly home when it happens.

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