Help us bring Sandra home

Aim

My beautiful nan Sandra has suffered a serious accident in Turkey and we are trying to get her home where she will be surrounded by family.

Sandra travelled to Turkey on her own and suffered a serious accident on 30 August 2026, falling down a flight of stairs.

She was taken initially to hospital in Didim and subsequently transferred to Aydın Adnan Menderes University Hospital. She had suffered a serious bleed within the brain (an intraparenchymal haemorrhage) and her level of consciousness deteriorated. She was intubated and transferred for emergency specialist treatment.

In the early hours of 31 August, Sandra underwent emergency neurosurgery. Surgeons performed a left temporoparietal decompressive craniectomy, removing a section of the skull to relieve dangerous pressure on her brain.

Sandra has remained in intensive care following the operation.

She is still very poorly and has required mechanical ventilation to support her breathing. More recently, the medical team has been trying to determine whether she can gradually be weaned from the ventilator.

If Sandra is unable to breathe adequately without this support, we have been advised that she may require a tracheostomy to provide a more suitable long-term airway. She may also require a PEG feeding tube so that the current tube through her nose can be removed.

Despite everything she has been through, Sandra continues to receive intensive treatment and care.

Her family are now in Turkey trying to deal with both her medical situation and the enormous financial consequences of her accident.

Sandra's travel insurer has advised that it will currently cover only 23.66% of the costs.

Her hospital bill is already approximately £44,000 and is increasing by around £1,000 every day. We have also been advised that medically supported repatriation by air ambulance to the UK could cost approximately £80,000.

The hospital has told the family that they hope to discuss possible repatriation with them next week.

Our priority now is to make sure Sandra receives the care she needs and, as soon as doctors consider it safe, to bring her home to the UK to continue her treatment and rehabilitation surrounded by her family.

Thank you for your support. 

Funding method

Keep what you raise – this project will receive all pledges made by 12th November 2026 at 8:17pm