A Scottish woman who fell from a third-floor hotel balcony in Rhodes could be paralysed after suffering a broken back and broken bones in her foot. Denby McLaren, 30, from Larkhall in South Lanarkshire, has been in a Greek hospital for a week since the incident on October 6.
Fall during birthday holiday
The fall happened while Denby was celebrating her 30th birthday on a holiday with her mum. A family friend, Leeanne Weir, told BBC Scotland that Denby is "lucky to be alive" but cannot currently move her legs.
"The biggest worry is she can't move her legs," said Weir. "We don't know if this has affected her spine and if she will be paralysed. It's absolutely horrific. She is lucky to be alive after a fall like that. Denby is a lovely girl. It's awful what's happened to her."
Family fundraising to bring her home
Denby's family are desperate to bring her back to Scotland, but the cost is a major strain. She will need to travel by air ambulance on a stretcher with medical assistance throughout the journey. Although Denby works as cabin crew with an airline and has travel and medical insurance, neither covers the cost of a specialist flight. A fundraiser set up to help get her home has raised over £19,000.
From her hospital bed, Denby issued a statement via her partner, Craig Anderson, who is travelling to Greece to be with her. The statement read in part: "Denby has received so many messages but isn't well enough to reply. She is so grateful for every message and will get back to everyone as soon as she's feeling well enough."
Family's gratitude
Denby's mum, Sharon Pollock, who remains by her bedside in Greece, also shared an update on Facebook. Sharon wrote: "No one deserves to go through this after a beautiful birthday celebration. I appreciate everything everyone is doing to get my gorgeous girl home. We just need her home."
Craig added: "Absolutely blown away with the response of this [fundraiser]. We are truly grateful for everyone and their share/donations. We can’t wait to get Denby home. We are one step closer every day."
