A mother is battling for her life in Tenerife, with her family pleading for help to bring her back home.
Tracey Ellis, from Kingston Park in Newcastle, was rushed to hospital while holidaying alone in Tenerife. The mother-of-four had to call an ambulance for herself on Saturday, June 22, due to severe stomach pains that left her crawling on the floor.
Following her admission to an emergency clinic, the 56-year-old was diagnosed with acute pancreatitis and was sent to a private hospital before being rushed into intensive care.
Her family claims they were not informed by the hospital about her condition and only found out when Tracey contacted her children – Connor, Curtis, Grant, and Amy – on Monday morning to tell them she was feeling slightly better.
However, by Monday evening, Tracey expressed her fear to her family and revealed that the hospital was charging her £5,000 as she hadn’t been able to sort out her travel insurance claim yet. The next day, her son Grant informed her that he and his brother would be flying out to see her, to which Tracey responded.
This was the last communication they received from her, reports Chronicle Live. Upon their arrival at the hospital, they were horrified to find Tracey in an induced coma and on life support.
They immediately contacted their siblings, Connor and Amy, instructing them to fly out as soon as possible as the next 48 hours were critical.
Upon their arrival at a hospital in the north of Tenerife, language barriers made understanding complex medical dialogues challenging. The family was informed that Tracey had internal bleeding and an infection on her pancreas which had reached multiple organs.
Following the catastrophic news, the family was approached for another £10k deposit or face relocating their critically ill mother to another hospital. Connor, 29, Tracey’s elder son said: “We were petrified to move mam in the critical state she was in. All we wanted to do was to be with her and not focus on the cost involved.”
Financial pressures led to transferring Tracey to a state-funded hospital where she continued receiving treatment. Currently, efforts are ongoing to bring her home when, or if, her situation will allow. The outstanding expenses for her medical care have amassed to £30,000. A GoFundMe page has been set in motion to help cover the costs.
Amy, Tracy’s 20 year old daughter, said: “We have all been overwhelmed by everyone’s kindness. All we want to do is focus on my mam’s recovery. She’s the strongest, bravest and kind-hearted mam. If anyone can please help us we’ll be eternally grateful.”