Paul Grant, 43, is fighting for his life after hitting his head just hours into a family holiday in Lanzarote, requiring an operation to remove half his skull. The waiter from Windsor, Berkshire, had treated his family to a week-long, all-inclusive holiday for his mum's birthday on September 11.
Grant flew to Lanzarote with his mum, sister and her husband from Luton Airport and spent the first day relaxing by the pool. But on their first night at the hotel, his mum—sharing a twin room with him—woke to find him having a seizure and covered in blood after hitting his head on the wall.
Emergency surgery after brain pressure
His sister, Kimberley Sharp, said an ambulance rushed him to hospital, where he was put in a medically-induced coma as his liver and kidneys were failing. Doctors reportedly told the family he needed intensive care and he was airlifted to University Hospital of Gran Canaria Dr. Negrín in Gran Canaria.
Kimberley claims they received a call hours later from a surgeon saying Paul needed emergency surgery as he could die due to severe brain pressure. He had surgery the same day, with surgeons removing the right side of his skull to save his life. Still sedated and not out of the 'danger zone', the family have spent more than £1,500 on flights and accommodation to be at his bedside.
Family's account of the incident
Kimberley said: "He just wanted to make some nice family memories and have a good time. It was all-inclusive for a week in Lanzarote. We had a good first day, hung out by the pool and had a bit of dinner. I woke up to my mum banging on my door at 5am because Paul had a seizure and had fallen and banged his head in the hotel room."
"He was covered in blood, it was in the hallway, we think he banged it on the wall. My mum did everything she could. She woke up to the noises he was making, she tried to put him on his side so he didn't swallow his tongue. He was bleeding from his head and his nose and still having a fit. We went down to the reception to get an ambulance. He kind of came to and he was really confused, he had no idea what was going on."
"He was talking like he had had a stroke, my mum went in the ambulance with him to the hospital. My mum was told to wait and at about 9am they told her he was in intensive care. A doctor said their hospital wasn't equipped to deal with his injuries, he has a bleed on the brain, [and] he was going to have to be airlifted to Gran Canaria. At about 5pm my mum received a call saying they needed to do the surgery to try and save his life [as] the pressure on his brain was too much. [They said] if they didn't do the surgery he would die. They rang for permission and did it then and there."
Previous seizure and recovery signs
The kitchen manager said her brother had suffered his first seizure a couple of months ago after being mugged in Newcastle. She said: "A couple of months ago he got beaten up in Newcastle and had a seizure. He was jumped for his wallet and his phone, he was put into hospital and hasn't been the same since. That's why this family holiday was so important to him."
Despite Paul's surgery having no complications, Kimberley said he's 'not out of the danger zone yet'. She said: "Half his skull was removed on his right-hand side. He's not quite out of the danger zone yet, a part of his brain is severely damaged. He was put into a medically induced coma because his liver and kidneys were failing. He's not awake now, I'm devastated. He's still highly sedated but he can hear us. He is connected to all the tubes but not on life support, which is a good thing."
Kimberley has set up a GoFundMe that has raised more than £10,000 to help with costs. She said: "I don't know if he has insurance, we haven't even discussed medical bills yet. We're just in the unknown at the moment, all we're worried about is saving his life and getting him better. The fundraiser is to keep me and my mum out in Gran Canaria because we don't know how long we are going to be here for. Our Airbnb is 25 minutes from the hospital so we have all the transport costs involved [too]."
In an update on Wednesday, the family shared "one of the most emotional days" since the seizure. Posting on GoFundMe, they said: "This morning, Paul was asked to move his feet — and he did. Something so small to anyone else felt absolutely huge to us. He also had his tracheostomy today, another major part of his care and another step in this incredibly difficult journey. Then this evening came a moment me and Mum will never forget. We asked Paul to smile… and he smiled at us. Not just once, but multiple times when we asked him. Seeing his face respond to us like that was overwhelming. After everything he has been through, all the fear, all the waiting and all the uncertainty, seeing those smiles felt like seeing a little piece of our Paul again. There were tears, relief, disbelief — everything at once. We know we still have such a long way to go, but tonight those smiles have given us something precious to hold onto."
On Thursday, they shared that Paul had been removed from the ventilator "for a few hours". They added: "Unfortunately, he has developed a temperature, and the doctors are continuing to carry out tests to check for any possible infection. We are still waiting for answers, but they are keeping a close eye on him. He hasn’t really been awake today, but he is still responding to commands, including trying to move his feet when we ask him to. Even on his quieter days, knowing he’s still trying gives us something to hold on to."
Issuing a "heartfelt thank you" to all who had sent kind words, support or donations, they added: "We know this journey isn’t going to be straightforward. There will be good days, difficult days and days where we just have to wait. Mum and I will continue to be right by his side, talking to him, encouraging him and reminding him just how loved he is."
