Annette TyrrellSource: FacebookA DUBLIN WOMAN has been left stranded in Spain after suffering a stroke while on holiday with her family.
62-year-old Annette Tyrrell suffered the stroke 10 days ago. At first she was well enough to walk into the hospital in Torrevieja, Alicante, in the south east of the country.
However, her condition subsequently deteriorated leaving her paralysed down the right hand side of her body and without speech.
Her family in Ireland then took out an emergency credit union loan and flew to be at Annette's side.
"They told us she has a blockage that they can't unblock, and that surgery is too dangerous," Annette's daughter-in-law Louise told TheJournal.ie. "We didn't know how her blood sugar was (Annette has diabetes), or her blood pressure, she was incontinent, it was a nightmare."
Annette travelled without holiday insurance as, given she lives with diabetes, the insurance quotes she was given were "ridiculous" according to Louise.
"But she had her E111 form so she should have gotten the same medical care as in Ireland," she said.
Then, on Monday, she was discharged from hospital via medical taxi after the Spanish medics told her family that her medical needs had been met as far as they could be.
"We just want to get her home now," said Louise.
Worried
"She's in a tiny apartment in Torrevieja, it's not close to anything, and we were worried she'd be there for months and months," she said.
Annette (left) and daughter-in-law LouiseSource: GoFundMe"Like she and her husband are trapped after being discharged. This wouldn't happen in Ireland, someone seriously ill wouldn't be discharged. We know nothing about strokes. She wasn't even given a wheelchair when she was discharged. She was degraded."
In order to get Annette home the Tyrrells are opting to have her assessed by a private medical company, with carers then accompanying her on the flight assuming she's considered fit to travel. Upon arrival in Ireland, she would be taken straight to hospital here. The medical bill for that action is estimated at between €6,000 and €8,000.
The family have launched a GoFundMe drive with the goal of flying Annette back to Ireland. At present the page, which describes grandmother Annette as "the most loving, funny, and caring woman you could ever meet", has received close to €9,000 of a €10,000 goal.
"We just want her home to a hospital here, as soon as she's been assessed. She has a 90% blockage in the main artery to her brain and had to go without insulin for days," said Louise.
"It's not right, she should have been given the same medical care as she would get here."
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