Brit tourist plunges from Cyprus hotel balcony and can't walk after holiday 'nightmare'
A British holidaymaker is haunted by "nightmares" after a terrifying plunge from a hotel balcony in Cyprus left him unable to walk.
Sam Hudson, from Lincoln, was staying at the Anmaria Beach Hotel in Ayia Napa with his step-brother on June 15 when he suffered a horrific fall from the second floor. The dad, who had been drinking, was trying to leap between the balconies.
He was spotted by a passerby and rushed to hospital in an ambulance after suffering pelvis and spinal injuries. Stepmother Karen received a call informing her that Sam had "sustained serious bone injuries" and needed to be moved to Nicosia General Hospital for critical care.
The father-of-one faced a gruelling stint in intensive care due to a shattered pelvis, fractures to the L4 and L5 vertebrae, and a broken leg, enduring over seven hours of surgery.
Without travel insurance, Sam faced delays as he awaited a Global Health Insurance Card before doctors would proceed with the operation.
After spending just over a week in the hospital, he was then moved to the Orthopaedic ward.
Sam told The Mirror: "I do not remember anything, how it happened, nothing. I keep having nightmares about the accident. I was in a lot of pain and had a high dose of pain killers for the first 10 days which meant I was not really aware of how bad the situation was.
"I had a broken pelvis at the right hand side near the leg joint, broken something in the lower part of pelvis, also broken an area at the back of my spine some small bones that stick out the back of the lower spine."
Sam was set to be discharged on July 11 as he no longer required emergency medical care, which is what the GHIC card covers.
Upon his return to the UK, he will require immediate physiotherapy and will be admitted to hospital for rehabilitation. Sam will then embark on the challenging journey of learning to walk again.
However, lying flat for the flight home presents a "significant challenge" as the family cannot afford the cost of a stretcher. His step-mum has set up a GoFundMe page to help cover some of the costs, which has already raised more than £5,000.
Karen stated: "Sam has not received any physiotherapy and urgently needs to return to the UK to be admitted to hospital for rehabilitation - to begin the long process of learning to stand and walk again. He still has fractures in his pelvis and lower spine that have not been addressed, as they're not considered emergencies.
"However, from viewing the X-ray, these areas appear to be shattered, and we are concerned about the assumption that they will simply heal on their own. Trying to coordinate all of this has been a logistical nightmare for us as a family."
She is initiating a petition urging the UK government to make travel insurance a legal requirement for anyone travelling abroad.
Karen added: "Make sure always make sure you have travel insurance - no matter what. It's essential, and you should always read the small print to understand exactly what is and isn't covered.
"Equally important is having a GHIC card, which can cover emergency medical treatment within the EU. If you have it with you, the NHS can fund your care, and treatment can begin immediately without unnecessary delays.
"I strongly believe that travel insurance and a valid GHIC card should be made compulsory. When booking a flight or holiday, travellers should be required to enter both their insurance policy number and GHIC reference number.
"This would ensure that everyone is adequately protected and could help prevent other families from experiencing the distress and uncertainty we faced - not knowing how we would manage the costs involved in getting Sam home and ensuring he received the care he needed."
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