Chloe Barker, a 22-year-old from Halifax, West Yorkshire, is facing a bill of up to £10,000 to return home after breaking her back in a freak accident at a Prague bar. Her travel insurance covers medical expenses but does not include medical repatriation.
Accident and Injuries
Chloe was accidentally barged off a high bar stool by a stranger, falling backward and landing on her back. The impact caused a fracture in her lower spine. She underwent spinal surgery to stabilize the injury with metal screws and rods, along with a bone graft from her hip. A second operation is expected.
Sophia Andrews, Chloe's friend from Huddersfield, described the incident: "She had only been there one day, bless her. She was sat on a high bar stool and someone just walked past quickly and knocked her off it, falling backwards so she landed straight on her back and folded herself over."
Insurance Gap and Repatriation Costs
While Chloe's travel insurance policy covers her medical treatment in Prague, it does not provide for medical repatriation. Due to her injuries, she cannot travel on a commercial flight and faces either a 990-mile road journey by medical ambulance or an air ambulance. The estimated cost ranges from £7,000 to £10,000.
Sophia has launched a GoFundMe fundraiser to cover these costs. She explained: "It's either a medical ambulance [that] they're going to have to drive her back in with obviously paramedics onboard as well, or an air ambulance. But it depends on the situation afterwards what they think will be better for her. She's been told it will cost from £7,000 to £10,000."
Emotional and Physical Toll
Chloe expressed her fear and isolation: "I'm really scared, the hospital is doing a good job but there's a language barrier and I'm in a lot of pain. I've never had anything like medical treatments or anything so I'm really scared and I was really sad." She is limited to four hours of visiting time daily and has been told she may return home in about seven days, depending on recovery. She is also prohibited from sitting for three months.
Sophia added: "It's definitely a state of shock really for her and feeling really bad for it physically and mentally I imagine is a lot for her. It's awful to think of her in that situation and know you can't really do anything for her." Beyond repatriation, Chloe's recovery timeline and ability to return to work remain uncertain.
