Amanda Cannon, 58, from Redhill, Surrey, is fighting for her life in a private hospital in Antalya, Turkey, after suffering a cardiac arrest while on holiday with her daughter Marisa White on October 10. The grandmother-of-nine collapsed and reportedly went without oxygen for 10 minutes after what doctors believe was an epileptic seizure and cardiac arrest. She is currently on life support, and her family faces a hospital bill that has already reached €30,000 (£25,000).
Family rushed to Turkey after distressing call
Hannah Cooper, the mum of Amanda's grandchildren, flew to Turkey with her five-year-old daughter after receiving a distressing call from Marisa. Cooper said Amanda suddenly "jolted backwards", turned blue, and stopped breathing. Marisa immediately began CPR before paramedics arrived and took over.
Cooper, 33, from Shoreham-by-Sea, Sussex, told Talk to the Press: "She's now in a deep coma. She's got kidney failure, liver failure. They said there's a 20 per cent chance that she'll wake up and if she does, she'll be in a vegetative state."
She added: "I got a phone call from her daughter saying that she just suddenly jolted backwards, went grey, purple, blue, started foaming from the mouth and stopped breathing. Her daughter gave her CPR. Then when the ambulance got there, they took over. She went without oxygen for about 10 minutes."
No travel insurance and mounting costs
Because Amanda has no travel insurance, Turkish medics would not stop treatment for religious reasons, according to Cooper. The family fears the costs could run into hundreds of thousands of pounds if her condition does not improve.
Cooper said she received a phone call asking for £5,000 shortly after Amanda was admitted. "I said to them that I don't have £5,000, but I'd be flying over to Turkey. Since then, I've had several emails asking for payment."
She later discovered Amanda's stay in the private intensive care unit was costing around €3,500 every day. The hospital would not release her to a public one until half of the bill was cleared. Cooper said: "I've asked for a transfer to a state hospital where it would still cost money, but not like this."
Family launches GoFundMe appeal
The family launched a GoFundMe appeal with an initial target of £15,000, but now fear the total bill could be far higher. Despite no longer being with Amanda's son, Cooper said the 58-year-old has remained a huge part of her life. "She's been like a second mum to me for 17 years. She's always been my biggest supporter."
The ordeal has also taken a toll on Amanda's grandchildren. Cooper said: "My eldest is asking a lot of questions and is upset. My little girl just keeps saying she wants to see her nan."
Cooper and her daughter are set to return to the UK on Sunday, October 18, while Marisa plans to fly back to Turkey after collecting medication. Cooper concluded: "We're upset, shocked and confused. We just don't know what's going to happen next." The fundraiser can be found on GoFundMe.
