Son vows to get injured lifesaver mum home from Greece after serious crash

The Advertiser

11-07-2025

An injured Australian resident lies alone in a Greek public hospital with no privacy, a language barrier, unclothed, with just a sheet across her.
Narelle Massey was on an overseas holiday and had been enjoying an ATV ride with her sister when the unthinkable occurred, which resulted in numerous injuries.
Narelle, from Merimbula in NSW, sustained a punctured lung, splenic hematoma, fractured spine, broken ribs and a broken pelvis.
The woman was airlifted from Naxos, a Greek island in the South Aegea, to Athens for treatment.
But her son Aaron Reid said the experience had been terrible.
Aaron was standing at the Sydney International Airport on July 10, with a wheelchair among his luggage, prepared to fly to see his mum and arrange plans to bring her home.
"I won't be leaving her until I bring her back home," he told ACM's Bega District News.
"Mum's an amazing human, mate. She's a volunteer surf life saver and helps every year with the Pambula same wave program."
"She's been a surf lifesaver since 17. She was one of the first female life rescue radio operators.
"I just have to get there," Mr Reid stressed.
He said it had been difficult to communicate due to the difference in time zones and the language barrier.
However, he had spoken with the embassy over there numerous times and they had helped.
Narelle and her sister Pam were originally going to the United Kingdom for a family wedding, but had decided to go via Greece when the unfortunate incident happened.
Due to a health insurance dispute with Narelle's bank, Aaron was looking to an ombudsman.
"They denied the insurance. She thought she was covered for the ATV, and they've denied it all. We have the reports for it all," he said.
"It went from bad to worse. It's been frustrating for everyone involved."
Tracy Wallis, a friend of Narelle's from Yellow Pinch, organised a GoFundMe to raise donations to help bring her home to the Far South Coast.
"She's pretty down," Ms Wallis said, as she described her friend's spirits.
"She had her insurance. She rang them and asked them before she went on the quad bike if she needed extra cover, as she's a very cross-the-T's and dot-the-I's type of person," she said.
"They told her no. She accepted that the insurance she had would be ok.
"Since she had the [incident] they are refusing to cover her because she didn't have the extra cover."
Those wishing to donate can find the fundraiser here.
An injured Australian resident lies alone in a Greek public hospital with no privacy, a language barrier, unclothed, with just a sheet across her.
Narelle Massey was on an overseas holiday and had been enjoying an ATV ride with her sister when the unthinkable occurred, which resulted in numerous injuries.
Narelle, from Merimbula in NSW, sustained a punctured lung, splenic hematoma, fractured spine, broken ribs and a broken pelvis.
The woman was airlifted from Naxos, a Greek island in the South Aegea, to Athens for treatment.
But her son Aaron Reid said the experience had been terrible.
Aaron was standing at the Sydney International Airport on July 10, with a wheelchair among his luggage, prepared to fly to see his mum and arrange plans to bring her home.
"I won't be leaving her until I bring her back home," he told ACM's Bega District News.
"Mum's an amazing human, mate. She's a volunteer surf life saver and helps every year with the Pambula same wave program."
"She's been a surf lifesaver since 17. She was one of the first female life rescue radio operators.
"I just have to get there," Mr Reid stressed.
He said it had been difficult to communicate due to the difference in time zones and the language barrier.
However, he had spoken with the embassy over there numerous times and they had helped.
Narelle and her sister Pam were originally going to the United Kingdom for a family wedding, but had decided to go via Greece when the unfortunate incident happened.
Due to a health insurance dispute with Narelle's bank, Aaron was looking to an ombudsman.
"They denied the insurance. She thought she was covered for the ATV, and they've denied it all. We have the reports for it all," he said.
"It went from bad to worse. It's been frustrating for everyone involved."
Tracy Wallis, a friend of Narelle's from Yellow Pinch, organised a GoFundMe to raise donations to help bring her home to the Far South Coast.
"She's pretty down," Ms Wallis said, as she described her friend's spirits.
"She had her insurance. She rang them and asked them before she went on the quad bike if she needed extra cover, as she's a very cross-the-T's and dot-the-I's type of person," she said.
"They told her no. She accepted that the insurance she had would be ok.
"Since she had the [incident] they are refusing to cover her because she didn't have the extra cover."
Those wishing to donate can find the fundraiser here.
An injured Australian resident lies alone in a Greek public hospital with no privacy, a language barrier, unclothed, with just a sheet across her.
Narelle Massey was on an overseas holiday and had been enjoying an ATV ride with her sister when the unthinkable occurred, which resulted in numerous injuries.
Narelle, from Merimbula in NSW, sustained a punctured lung, splenic hematoma, fractured spine, broken ribs and a broken pelvis.
The woman was airlifted from Naxos, a Greek island in the South Aegea, to Athens for treatment.
But her son Aaron Reid said the experience had been terrible.
Aaron was standing at the Sydney International Airport on July 10, with a wheelchair among his luggage, prepared to fly to see his mum and arrange plans to bring her home.
"I won't be leaving her until I bring her back home," he told ACM's Bega District News.
"Mum's an amazing human, mate. She's a volunteer surf life saver and helps every year with the Pambula same wave program."
"She's been a surf lifesaver since 17. She was one of the first female life rescue radio operators.
"I just have to get there," Mr Reid stressed.
He said it had been difficult to communicate due to the difference in time zones and the language barrier.
However, he had spoken with the embassy over there numerous times and they had helped.
Narelle and her sister Pam were originally going to the United Kingdom for a family wedding, but had decided to go via Greece when the unfortunate incident happened.
Due to a health insurance dispute with Narelle's bank, Aaron was looking to an ombudsman.
"They denied the insurance. She thought she was covered for the ATV, and they've denied it all. We have the reports for it all," he said.
"It went from bad to worse. It's been frustrating for everyone involved."
Tracy Wallis, a friend of Narelle's from Yellow Pinch, organised a GoFundMe to raise donations to help bring her home to the Far South Coast.
"She's pretty down," Ms Wallis said, as she described her friend's spirits.
"She had her insurance. She rang them and asked them before she went on the quad bike if she needed extra cover, as she's a very cross-the-T's and dot-the-I's type of person," she said.
"They told her no. She accepted that the insurance she had would be ok.
"Since she had the [incident] they are refusing to cover her because she didn't have the extra cover."
Those wishing to donate can find the fundraiser here.
An injured Australian resident lies alone in a Greek public hospital with no privacy, a language barrier, unclothed, with just a sheet across her.
Narelle Massey was on an overseas holiday and had been enjoying an ATV ride with her sister when the unthinkable occurred, which resulted in numerous injuries.
Narelle, from Merimbula in NSW, sustained a punctured lung, splenic hematoma, fractured spine, broken ribs and a broken pelvis.
The woman was airlifted from Naxos, a Greek island in the South Aegea, to Athens for treatment.
But her son Aaron Reid said the experience had been terrible.
Aaron was standing at the Sydney International Airport on July 10, with a wheelchair among his luggage, prepared to fly to see his mum and arrange plans to bring her home.
"I won't be leaving her until I bring her back home," he told ACM's Bega District News.
"Mum's an amazing human, mate. She's a volunteer surf life saver and helps every year with the Pambula same wave program."
"She's been a surf lifesaver since 17. She was one of the first female life rescue radio operators.
"I just have to get there," Mr Reid stressed.
He said it had been difficult to communicate due to the difference in time zones and the language barrier.
However, he had spoken with the embassy over there numerous times and they had helped.
Narelle and her sister Pam were originally going to the United Kingdom for a family wedding, but had decided to go via Greece when the unfortunate incident happened.
Due to a health insurance dispute with Narelle's bank, Aaron was looking to an ombudsman.
"They denied the insurance. She thought she was covered for the ATV, and they've denied it all. We have the reports for it all," he said.
"It went from bad to worse. It's been frustrating for everyone involved."
Tracy Wallis, a friend of Narelle's from Yellow Pinch, organised a GoFundMe to raise donations to help bring her home to the Far South Coast.
"She's pretty down," Ms Wallis said, as she described her friend's spirits.
"She had her insurance. She rang them and asked them before she went on the quad bike if she needed extra cover, as she's a very cross-the-T's and dot-the-I's type of person," she said.
"They told her no. She accepted that the insurance she had would be ok.
"Since she had the [incident] they are refusing to cover her because she didn't have the extra cover."
Those wishing to donate can find the fundraiser here.