A Birmingham, UK, woman is fighting for her life after a freak illness turned her birthday trip to Turkey into an ‘unimaginable nightmare.’
Ronni Douglas, 26, was three days into her all-inclusive TUI trip to Bodrum when she had severe stomach pains and began vomiting uncontrollably.
Ronni was rushed to hospital where doctors diagnosed her with a perforated oesophagus – a life-threatening condition where a hole forms in the tube that passes food from the throat to the stomach.
She was left in a critical condition as her family scrambled to meet the costs of her care. Relatives said they were already facing a £5,000 medical bill for her initial treatment and potential surgery, but said the bills could soar as Ronni must stay in Turkey until she is well enough to travel.
Her sister, Fallon Douglas, has set up a GoFundMe page to fund her treatment costs which has already raised over £2,000 – but the family said they needed ‘all the help’ they can get.
Ronni flew to Bodrum on August 12 for a week-long holiday with her young niece and nephew and mum, Dawn. But three days into the trip, Ronni was rushed to hospital with stomach pains.
Fallon said: “Just a few days into our holiday, my sister started getting really bad stomach pain and throwing up. Two days after she was discharged she was still really sick – she was throwing up constantly, wasn’t eating anything and hadn’t been to the toilet for days.
“She was taken back to a local clinic who found she had a perforated oesophagus. She’s not in a good way at the minute.”
Dawn has already spent nearly £1,000 on initial care costs, including flights to bring Ronni’s niece and nephew back to the UK. The family said they were expecting a £5,000 bill for further care, and additional charges the longer Ronni stayed in hospital.
Fallon said the family mistakenly travelled to Turkey without insurance after assuming it was included in their TUI package and only booked cover two days into the holiday. But Dawn was reportedly told by hospital staff the insurance would not cover Ronni’s treatment, leaving the family facing ‘staggering’ costs for Ronni’s care.
Fallon added: “The language barrier is a big problem so we don’t really know how much the final bill is going to cost. It’s a very serious condition, she needs emergency treatment.
“She is too ill to be moved so we need to raise money for her treatment at the hospital which will add to the cost. Yesterday was a very stressful day and today is worse because no-one is there with her at the minute.
The family has launched a fundraising campaign to help fund Ronni’s treatment. The page reads: “What started as a family holiday in Turkey has turned into an unimaginable nightmare, and we need your help more than ever.
“Right now, Ronni needs every ounce of strength and support she can get to pull through this terrifying ordeal. The last thing we want her to worry about is the cost of her care.”