Holidaying mum complains of earache - then ends up in a coma

Daily Mirror

21-07-2025

A mum from Middleborough has undergone a terrifying health ordeal that has left her stranded in Turkey after she caught meningitis that led her to fall into a coma for three days
A Yorkshire mum's holiday turned from paradise to hell after she developed meningitis and even ended up in a coma after a day out snorkelling in Turkey.
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Rebecca Roskilly, 30 and her husband, Vincent Roskilly-Pearson, 28, headed out on what was supposed to be a dream seven-day trip to Marmaris along with their four children.
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To keep their kids entertained, the family chose a day out on a boat trip with a chance to see some sea life while snorkelling. Rebecca suffers from tinnitus, a ringing in the ears, so she chose to keep her above the water to try not to exacerbate the issue.
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Despite her efforts, the pain and ringing in her ears became worse and worse, and after returning to the hotel, she assumed that it had been caused by the trip or her 'very noisy' kids.
Taking some time away from some much-needed 'peace and quiet', she understandably ignored it, but on the last day of their trip, Rebecca had a terrifying scare when she suddenly 'lost consciousness', believing she could have died if Vincent had headed to the park without her.
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The baker, based in Middlesbrough, was quickly rushed to the hospital. Doctors diagnosed her with bacterial meningitis, and with the condition worsening and her brain starting to swell, she was left in a coma.
Speaking on the terrifying experience, Rebeca said: "I came on this lovely holiday with my family and never expected it to turn into such a nightmare. I'd got off the boat to swim with our children and had a little snorkel but didn't actually put my head under the water because I'm not really meant to [due to bursting my ear drum 10 years ago when scuba diving].
"Once we got back to the hotel I started to suffer from tinnitus in my ears. I've always had it on and off but the doctors back home don't seem too keen to do much. I thought it could be something to do with the boat trip. I'm no stranger to ear pain so I did not think it was going to progress into this.
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"The day before we were meant to go home we had a trip to the waterpark planned and I said to my husband 'my ear is still doing my head in so I won't be able to enjoy it. You take the girls and I'll stay at home with the baby'.
"My husband was like 'I don't think I'm going to do that because you just don't look right'. We were told that if he had done that he would've come back to a dead body. He went against my judgement and stayed."
Three days later, Rebecca had pulled through, but the family is now stranded in Turkey until she is well enough to make the long flight home.
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To give the family some extra help while she is out of action, her friends set up a GoFundMe page that has quickly gathered up support, raising more than £1000 in just a few weeks.
Making light of her terrifying health ordeal, Rebecca posted on social media: "when you make a joke about wanting to have a few extra days holiday then contract bacterial meningitis and slip into a coma for three days'."
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While in hospital, she had an operation on her eardrum, with many of the issues coming from an ear infection she had picked up before the holiday in the UK.
But being confused and in a foreign hospital, Rebecca didn't want the procedure to go ahead, she added: "Apparently [the doctors] were trying to do procedures on me and because I was so confused I was getting aggressive and lashing out.
"I had to be further sedated and restrained so they could actually find out what was wrong with me. That caused me to slip into a coma for three days.
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"Then I woke up properly and immediately was confused where my husband and children were and what was going on and realised my arms and legs were trapped to my bed. It was shocking. I didn't believe it when they said three days. I wouldn't wish it on anyone.
"I was terrified waking up hearing about brain swelling because my dad died of a haemorrhage to the brain. I thought 'oh my god, I'm going to die'. I was panicking. They did a procedure on my ear and it was excruciating because they sawed my ear drum."
Still attached to an IV drip and on some heavy-duty pain killers, the family missed their flight home scheduled for July 3, with the family patiently waiting for the right time to fly.
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Rebecca said: "We're just stranded here. They're going to try and get me on a normal flight but they're going to get me airport assistance. I'm able to do little walks but as far as getting around an airport I don't think I'll be able to do that.
"It's hard to sit up for more than about 60 minutes at the moment without needing to lie back down because my head feels like it's spinning. It's day by day.
"[The GoFundMe page] is absolutely incredible. It's been a massive help and benefit because whether the insurance drags their heels a bit on sorting my family's accommodations, the insurers say they'll pay it back but that's to be seen.
"There's other costs like food and drink for my children. Because we're self employed we've got no income right now and we're missing out on a lot of markets and events that we do."