British Woman Hospitalised Abroad After Mid-Flight Medical Crisis
A young British woman from Merseyside finds herself stranded over a thousand miles from home, confined to a hospital bed in Tunisia following a severe medical emergency that occurred onboard an aircraft. Niaomi Baker, aged thirty-three, originally from Kirkby, embarked on a holiday to Tunisia without informing her relatives and, critically, without securing travel insurance despite her pre-existing health conditions.
Medical Emergency Unfolds During Return Journey
The distressing incident unfolded on February 11th, as Niaomi prepared to board her return flight to the United Kingdom. According to her cousin, Laylla Baker, also from Merseyside, Niaomi suffered a seizure while on the plane. The situation escalated rapidly, prompting airline staff to remove her from the aircraft and rush her to a local hospital in the coastal city of Sousse.
Doctors at the Tunisian medical facility, unaware of Niaomi's complex medical history, made the decision to place her in an induced coma. This drastic measure was taken as she continued to experience seizures after admission. Niaomi lives with epilepsy, a condition she has managed since the age of two, alongside autism and functional neurological disorder (FND). FND is a neurological condition that can manifest in seizures, movement difficulties, and communication challenges.
Family's Anguish and Communication Struggles
Laylla Baker expressed profound helplessness and frustration, revealing that the family was completely unaware of Niaomi's trip abroad until informed by one of her carers days after the plane incident. "I don't really know exactly what's happened and what date she went there. I didn't even know she was going on holiday. No one informed us," Laylla stated.
The family's ordeal is compounded by severe communication barriers. Updates on Niaomi's condition are sporadic, often relying on the British embassy as an intermediary. "It's an absolute nightmare. The hospital were in contact with us when she was in intensive care. But she has been out there for nine weeks now and I've not heard anything from doctors for a week," Laylla explained.
Although medical professionals have since brought Niaomi out of the induced coma, she has not regained full consciousness. Laylla fears the isolation is hindering her recovery. "She's out there on her own and I'm worried that the reason she's not coming round is because she's got no one to talk to her. It's just horrible," she said.
Personal Hardships and Systemic Criticisms
Laylla herself faces significant health challenges, battling a brain tumour for six years, which prevents her from travelling to Tunisia to be at her cousin's bedside. "I just wish I was able to be there with her, because I think I'd be able to get her to come round. I really do believe that," she added emotionally.
The family has launched a scathing critique of the adult social care system, alleging a catastrophic failure. Niaomi, described as a vulnerable adult, typically requires carers to visit her four times daily. "Adult social care have failed her. That tells you everything you need to know," Laylla asserted. "If you had any doubt in your head that Niaomi was not capable of doing this, why didn't you help her - or inform family members? I feel like she has been failed by the system really badly."
Niaomi's recent history includes profound personal trauma; she discovered her mother, Karen, deceased in bed two years ago, an event that has undoubtedly added to her vulnerabilities.
Fundraising Drive for Repatriation
In a desperate bid to bring Niaomi home, her family has initiated a fundraising campaign to secure approximately thirty-five thousand pounds. This sum is essential to cover the costs of a specialised medical air ambulance that can safely transport her back to the United Kingdom. Upon return, the family hopes she can receive appropriate treatment at the renowned Walton Centre in Liverpool.
"She's a UK citizen and a vulnerable adult stuck abroad," Laylla emphasised, highlighting the urgency of their situation. The family remains in a state of anxious limbo, clinging to the hope that sufficient funds can be raised to facilitate Niaomi's repatriation and access to familiar medical care in her homeland.
