
Young woman, 20, paralysed after horror balcony fall on dream holiday
Holly Seaford travelled to the island for a holiday with her partner last week before she fell from the high balcony in a freak accident in the early hours of the morning on Wednesday, July 9.
The 20-year-old, from Ystrad Mynach in Wales, fractured four vertebrae and is unable to move in hospital while medics struggle to treat her, reports Wales Online.
Doctors have told her boyfriend Tate Crees, who is with her in Rhodes, that it will be two months before Holly can move again.
Tate said: "She is lying flat in a hospital bed in a back brace unable to move or walk. Doctors have told us it'll be at least six to eight weeks before she can start to regain mobility. This is going to be a very difficult process."
Holly's sister Briony said the family can't afford to get Holly back to Wales themselves and have asked for support to fundraise for her repatriation.
She said: "She's in a lot of pain and is bedbound. The last I heard they'd given her paracetamol. They can't effectively look after her there."
The couple were due to fly back from Rhodes on the day Holly fell from the balcony. Tate said: "Although the medical care in Greece is good, the hospital sadly doesn't have any nursing support available.
"This means Holly is without help for even the most basic daily needs, which is having a serious impact on her wellbeing.
"We are desperate to get her home to the UK where she can receive the professional nursing care and rehabilitation she urgently requires.
"But medical repatriation is incredibly expensive, especially as the only way Holly can fly home is on a stretcher. She requires a specialist medical flight with trained staff to monitor her throughout the journey and unfortunately this isn't covered by insurance."
As of Sunday morning, nearly £7,000 (approximately €8,000) of the £10,000 target had already been raised to support Holly and her family. You can see the fundraiser here.
The Irish Mirror's Crime Writers Michael O'Toole and Paul Healy are writing a new weekly newsletter called Crime Ireland. Click here to sign up and get it delivered to your inbox every week

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The Irish Sun
16 hours ago
- The Irish Sun
I was ‘baby fat' teen for years but totally transformed in just WEEKS without jabs after shock moment changed everything
WHEN Jack Diggins couldn't close his jeans on holidays after years of battling with "baby fat" as a teenager, he knew he needed to make a change. The Kerry lad, 19, had struggled with confidence and consistency in the 5 Jack Diggins told how he had spent most of his life overweight 5 The teen has now lost almost 60 pounds in just 16 weeks 5 The fitness fanatic is sharing his routine and weight loss tips with others on social media Jack had been going to the gym for over four years in an effort to improve his fitness and feel more confident. But regardless of undertaking lengthy diets, playing sports and spending hours in the gym daily, he struggled with his weight throughout his teens. Jack told the Irish Sun: "I was always overweight - my mam kept on telling me it's baby fat, but I kept on saying, you don't get baby fat at 15-years-old. "I'd spend hours training, but with the nutrients I was just barely getting my protein, because that's all I cared about. The rest of it didn't matter. "I was losing weight before but then I gained a ball of weight - it has kind of been a toxic cycle ever since of just gaining and losing weight." Spending years caught in a cycle of losing weight, feeling hopeful and then regaining it all again, Jack said he was never able to find a routine that truly worked for him long-term. WAKE-UP CALL And he told how the moment that changed everything for him happened on Jack said it was a shock and made him realise he was significantly overweight and needed to change his lifestyle for good. Calling it a wake-up call, he decided he simply couldn't keep living the way he was living and had to take responsibility. When he returned home, Jack started working with a personal coach who helped him design a daily plan to break the cycle once and for all. 'No shortcuts exist' I'm an Irish teen who lost almost 60 pounds in 16 weeks following a routine that works wonders He said: "The moment I realised was when I was on holidays with my girlfriend and we were going on a little fancy dinner, and I tried to put on my jeans. "I couldn't even tie my top button - these were a pair super oversized jeans and they were stuck to me. "That was when I realised 'ok, I need to make a change here'." Now 57 pounds down in 16 weeks, his new meal plan became incredibly structured, with every single portion measured to keep his calories consistent. TRAINING & MEAL PLAN Jack usually kickstarts his day with a healthy breakfast oats mixed with honey and protein powder. Later meals include Greek yogurt with blueberries for a balance of protein and micronutrients along with dinners like jasmine rice, chicken and broccoli. To support his diet, Jack now has an intense training schedule that begins with a 30 to 60 minute morning walk to get his metabolism going before he hits the gym. After waking up, he also waits about two hours before eating his first meal which he says helps him control his hunger throughout the day. And after years of following a range of On top of his strength training, the fitness fanatic now does an additional 30 minutes of cardio daily, which he swears is essential for fat loss. Every meal is timed carefully, and he eats multiple times throughout the day to keep energy steady and to avoid overeating later. His evenings also end extremely early, as he goes to bed well before midnight to allow his body to recover from the physical demands of training. But Jack has a word of warning about such a strict approach. He said: "To lose that amount of weight in that time frame - I wouldn't recommend it for anybody. "It really does take everything out of me, every moment of the day is dedicated to weight loss. "It's a full time job - people could lose weight a bit slower than me and not put in as much effort as I am, they wouldn't have to sacrifice so much." And Jack admits it doesn't come without its challenges. DAILY BATTLE One of the hardest parts of this entire process has been how much it has forced him to cut back on social interactions and miss out on events with friends. Low energy levels were another challenge, and he often felt exhausted even during normal activities that used to feel easy - admitting he actually felt better when he was overweight. Despite all of these obstacles, Jack has no regrets because the transformation gave him a huge sense of achievement and confidence. The He said: "Before losing the weight I was not confident in myself whatsoever - like I'd be walking with my head down all of the time. "Now that I've lost the weight, I can genuinely say that I've never felt better about myself in my life. "I now walk into a room now and be like, I know exactly what I've done to get where I am. I'm so proud about the progress I made, I will never be going back to what I was." Although he recommends taking it slower than he has, Jack now shares his top weight loss tips to others on Up first, Jack said to always prepare meals ahead of time - weigh everything you eat carefully and stick to a consistent meal plan. He also advises keeping workouts simple with a push, pull, legs routine and making cardio a major priority if HSE HEALTHY EATING ADVICE THE HSE recommends that "if overweight, lifestyle changes including diet or physical activity are the first steps to manage weight". Their three key healthy eating guidelines messages are: Limit high-fat, sugar, salt foods/drinks from the top shelf Eat more vegetable/fruit: five-seven servings Know your serving sizes And health bosses say "changes to physical activity in conjunction with dietary changes are the first steps to managing weight". And they understand that it's totally normal if you find it hard to change your habits and routines. But it can help to plan what changes you will make, keep a diary of your habits - for example your sleep, mood, eating habits and to set goals - make two or three small changes at a time. Other key activities include getting better quality sleep and increasing exercise. Sleep is important for your health and your weight. Not sleeping well impacts your metabolism and hunger levels. You're more likely to eat higher energy foods and be less active when you sleep badly. Tips for better quality sleep: Routine - try to go to sleep and get up at the same time every day. Daylight - getting daylight can help you sleep at night. Smartphones, computers and TVs - do not look at screens for a few hours before going to bed. Food and exercise at night - avoid eating large meals 1 to 2 hours before bedtime. Physical activity - being physically active during the day may help you sleep better at night. Caffeine - avoid caffeine in the evenings. Drink less alcohol - taking a break from or cutting down on alcohol can help improve your sleep quality. Physical activity can: help you lose weight and stop you gaining weight - it works alongside a healthy diet improve your fitness and strength improve your mood reduce anxiety and stress lower your risk of heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes and some cancers And Jack said he can't stress enough that mental preparation is just as important as training and that no shortcuts exist if you want real results. Lastly, he said it's essential to have a good support system, as his mum played a huge role in helping him stay motivated and focused on the bigger picture. And with his newfound confidence, Jack now plans to compete in a bodybuilding show and hopes to become an online fitness coach, using everything he's learned to help others succeed. Jack added: "I know 16 weeks is going to pass. It's either I'm going to be 16 weeks in the future and I'm still going to be fat or I'm going to be 16 weeks in the future and I've made a huge transformation. "My plan now after the show was to go into online coaching - I'll have that transformation to show, and I won't have to be focused on myself. "I love helping people and if I can help anyone with improving their own confidence, that is a huge win for me." 5 Jack now is too small for the jeans that once wouldn't fit him 5 He plans to do a bodybuilding show and become an online coach


Irish Examiner
a day ago
- Irish Examiner
We must address bullying at every level in healthcare
Chatting with my teenage daughter about the latest episode of US presidential bullying and hubris, it became clear that she believed that Donald Trump's conduct is rare in adult life. Once schooldays are finished, a bully-free nirvana appears, as adults don't commonly bully each other. Unfortunately, this is not true. Workplace bullying goes on at every level. No job is free of it: teaching, law, finance, media, technology, nursing and medicine. I have met seasoned medical consultants counting every day until retirement to escape a 'colleague' who had bullied them for decades. Bullying is about power. The bully cares nothing about the oppressed, except for the surge in power that they feel after undermining their work or denigrating them in front of colleagues. Bullying can also take the cruel form of exclusion, where a person is deliberately cut off from interactions with others. Belonging is such a fundamental human need that organised exclusion bites deep into a person's self-esteem but gives them little to point at. Unpleasant interactions When we were just qualified as interns, we had to book x-rays for our patients. One person in the radiology department took immense pleasure in ripping up completed booking forms, telling us we were idiots and sending us away to do it again. And again. They held the power, knowing we would get in trouble if the x-rays were not carried out. Everyone knew about this person's conduct. The bruising experience was considered by some more senior doctors to be 'good training'. This rationalisation of unpleasant interactions is where the game is lost. If recognition that someone has behaved badly is set aside in favour of a warped view of learning, or the status quo, nothing will change. Research published by Dr Margaret Hodgins and Dr John Cullinane from the University of Galway in 2020 suggests that one in ten employees have experienced bullying. The cost of this corrosive conduct is enormous in terms of productivity, commitment, errors, and absence from the workplace It is not a surprise that people being bullied do not perform well. It is a particular concern when patient care is involved. Internationally, bullying in healthcare settings is well described. A Greek study looking at neonatal intensive care found that being female, young, and relatively inexperienced greatly increased the risk of becoming a victim of harassment by a colleague. Even more concerning are the risks to patients that are also well documented, with bullying linked to poor teamwork, practice errors and communication failures. An organisation which fails to tackle bullying inevitably suffers reputational damage, low morale and repeated recruitment costs. Most employers have endeavored to tackle bullying by instituting measures to promote dignity in the workplace and a positive culture. There may be HR disciplinary processes to manage reprehensive behavior, but the truth is that they are limited by the fact that it is the person being bullied who must shout stop. If the employer will not or cannot immediately pull around and protect them, they will suffer more Already experiencing sleepless nights, loss of confidence and crippling anxiety about the next attack, it makes no sense to expect the victim to launch an industrial relations exercise. Sharing the responsibility for showing a bully that their conduct is intolerable makes more sense. Bystander awareness training has been found to be effective in tackling poor behavior. Intervening as a bystander reduces the harm experienced by the target of the bullying, shows everyone that the behavior is out of line, and gradually chips away at a negative culture. Most universities and employers now provide bystander training to give people the language and actions they need to call out bullying. Actions range from distraction, enlisting help from other witnesses, and focusing empathy on the person who has been made to feel inferior. Wider safety campaigns raising awareness of the effects of a poor working culture have also been shown to be effective. 'Incivility Kills,' was the memorable title of a recent project run across several Australian hospitals which galvanised healthcare staff to tackle unpleasant conduct in the interest of improving patient safety. 'Civility Saves Lives,' is a similar project in Britain. As we learn more about the impact of human behavior on patient safety, we must address bullying at every level in healthcare. It is a silent, shameful influence on our well-being and how we do our work. When I look back at the early years of my training, I see that as young doctors and nurses we were already grappling with workload, assessments, night shifts, death, and grieving families. We had enough learning experiences. Our capacity to learn more was never going to be enhanced by being humiliated and reduced. Such Trumpian thinking is profoundly wrongheaded. Dr Suzanne Crowe, consultant in pediatric intensive care, President of the Medical Council Read More Do we need a new model for GP care?


Irish Daily Mirror
2 days ago
- Irish Daily Mirror
Major update on inquests into 3 children killed by their mother five years ago
The father of three children killed by their mother at their family home in south Dublin five years ago has welcomed news that inquests into their deaths are scheduled to be heard before the end of the year. However, the scope of the inquiry to be held by the senior coroner in Dublin, Myra Cullinane, has still to be determined. Dr Cullinane told a brief sitting of Dublin District Coroner's Court on Wednesday that she planned to hold the inquests into the deaths of Conor (9), Darragh (7) and three-year-old Carla McGinley before the end of 2025. The bodies of the three children were discovered at their family home at Parson's Court, Newcastle, Co Dublin on January 24, 2020. At the opening of the inquests into the children's deaths in September 2020, it was revealed that postmortems had shown that the three young siblings had died from suffocation. Their mother, Deirdre Morley, a paediatric nurse, was subsequently found not guilty of their murder by reason of insanity following a trial at the Central Criminal Court in May 2021. The children's father, Andrew McGinley, has called for the scope of the inquests into their deaths to be widened to examine the diagnosis and treatment of his wife's mental illness before the tragic event. At the latest sitting of the inquests, Dr Cullinane asked all interested parties to confirm that there would be no further submissions in relation to the scope of her inquiry in addition to those requested at a previous hearing in June 2023. Submissions have already been made on behalf of consultant psychiatrist, Olivia Gibbons; Mr McGinley and the HSE. Counsel for Ms Morley, Nora-Pat Stewart BL, confirmed that she would not be making any submission on the scope of the inquiry. Ms Stewart also acknowledged there was no reason why proceeding with the inquests would not be in her client's interest. The coroner said she would issue her ruling on the scope of the inquiry by correspondence with the parties by July 31. It was also agreed between the parties that there would be full disclosure of Ms Morley's medical records without any redactions. The coroner heard that some medical records were already available to the relevant parties 'as part of another process.' Counsel for Dr Gibbons, Simon Mills SC, confirmed that his client had no objections to the disclosure of such documents. Dr Cullinane replied that she intended to share the medical records, which would cover a significant time period, with the parties 'within days.' The Irish Mirror's Crime Writers Michael O'Toole and Paul Healy are writing a new weekly newsletter called Crime Ireland. Click here to sign up and get it delivered to your inbox every week The coroner said she would also make available the reports of two forensic psychiatrists who had examined Ms Morley after the deaths of her three children as well as a transcript of her trial and the Garda file on the investigation. Ms Stewart also applied for legal aid for Ms Morley, who attended the hearing via videolink, so that she could be represented at inquests that would involve 'particularly difficult matters' in which complex issues were expected to arise. Dr Cullinane noted that legislation only allowed legal aid to be granted to one family member but granted the application after no objections were raised to the application. The coroner said it was ultimately a matter for the Legal Aid Board to confirm if legal aid would be certified. She adjourned the hearing for mention to October 3 to indicate a list of witnesses expected to give evidence. Dr Cullinane said she intended to hold the full inquests 'shortly thereafter' which she indicated would be before the end of the year. Speaking after the hearing, Mr McGinley said he welcomed the fact that the process was moving forward and expressed hope that there would be 'an extended scope' to the inquests. 'An inquest is to be a clear and transparent process. It can only be done if everybody engages positively with it. That's why I'm here,' said Mr McGinley. The coroner previously heard that Ms Morley had been an in-patient at a private psychiatric hospital less than six months before the death of her children. Mr McGinley's legal representatives told the coroner that he believed his wife's condition had not been properly diagnosed and she had not been properly treated. They also claimed that he had not been properly involved in her diagnosis and treatment and that Mr McGinley believed there was a link between her medical treatment and his children's deaths. The inquests heard that Mr McGinley's motivation in seeking to widen the scope of the inquest was to identify circumstances which could prevent the recurrence of such a terrible event. His lawyers claimed such an objective is entirely legitimate and is underpinned by the public policy consideration of coroner's courts. However, counsel for Dr Gibbons, a consultant psychiatrist at St Patrick's Mental Health Services who had treated Ms Morley, claimed the proposed extension of the scope of the inquest would result in an inquiry that would be 'a radically different matter not envisaged by the Oireachtas.' Ms Morley had been voluntarily admitted to a psychiatric facility in July 2019 and had been discharged from the care of Dr Gibbons on August 1, 2019. At the hearing in June 2023, Dr Mills also pointed out that an expert witness had given evidence on behalf of Ms Morley during her criminal trial that she had only formed the intention to act on her children in January 2020 and that she had not disclosed that intention to anybody. He also noted that civil remedies were available and were being taken up by both Mr McGinley and his wife as they were taking legal actions against medical professionals and the HSE. Dr Mills said they could also make complaints to various regulatory bodies that oversee medical professionals. Subscribe to our newsletter for the latest news from the Irish Mirror direct to your inbox: Sign up here.