A British mother of five who is in a coma in Gran Canaria has developed sepsis, her family has confirmed. Emily Casey, 34, from the Wirral, Merseyside, fell seriously ill during a family holiday and was rushed to hospital. Medics initially diagnosed pneumonia and drained fluid from her lungs before placing her in an induced coma. Although she showed signs of improvement, her condition has now deteriorated.
Sepsis Diagnosis and Treatment Challenges
Speaking from the island, her husband Jamie provided an update: 'The doctors told us they had caught the sepsis in time and were treating her with antibiotics. As the days went by, Emily seemed to be carrying on improving until today we were told that Emily had gone backwards. They told us the doctors had done an X-ray on Emily's chest and were shocked to discover the pneumonia has taken over her lungs again, and that the sepsis is now in her bloodstream. Yet they also tell us they can't seem to find the correct antibiotics to treat the infection, so more blood tests are needed.'
Insurance Issues and Financial Strain
Upon admission, doctors asked the family for £3,000 upfront to perform a CT scan. Jamie revealed that Emily had not declared a recent pneumonia battle to her insurance company before flying to the Canary Islands, which likely invalidates her policy. 'Just after the first day of Emily being in the coma, I was asked by the doctor for £8,000 and was also asked about insurance. Emily does have insurance but as Emily didn't declare that she recently had pneumonia, they have told us there is a good chance the policy will be void,' Jamie said.
Jamie had to return to England with their children to arrange childcare before flying back to Spain. The family has struggled to contact the insurance company since.
GoFundMe Campaign
To cover mounting medical costs and bring Emily home, Jamie launched a GoFundMe page. 'Emily is only 34 years old and is the mother to our five children. I thank you all from the bottom of mine and our children's hearts for any donations you can make during this difficult time no matter how big or small,' he said. At the time of writing, £11,000 had been raised towards a £15,000 target.
