Brit mum who collapsed hours before flight home from Spain holiday 'critical'

A British family has been left in shock after a 42 year old mum collapsed while on holiday and required emergency brain surgery. Stephanie Williams, from Bishopston, Wales, was enjoying a family trip to Spain when she fell seriously ill just hours before her scheduled flight home.

She is currently in a critical condition in a Spanish hospital with her family at her bedside. The ordeal began last Saturday (June 8) as Stephanie, her four children, and her partner were preparing to head to the airport from their Alicanta, Costa Blanca holiday spot.

But around 1am, Stephanie suddenly fell ill in her hotel room and had a seizure. Her daughter Aimee described the situation as "unimaginable", referring to her young mother as "the most selfless person in the world".

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Aimee reached out to family back in Wales to arrange a £3,000 transfer so that her mum could start receiving treatment at a nearby Spanish hospital. Stephanie's family faced a financial nightmare as they initially had to cover the soaring medical costs for her treatment in Alicante, with expenses quickly surpassing £10,000.

This was before her travel insurance kicked in to cover the costs at a different hospital. Stephanie underwent critical brain surgery on Monday (June 10), and although successful, she remains in a "very critical condition in intensive care". With no clear prognosis and an uncertain hospital stay ahead, the cost of keeping her loved ones by her side continues to escalate.

Her partner is steadfastly supporting her in Spain, while her father and brothers have also flown out to provide comfort during this difficult time. In response to the mounting financial pressure, Stephanie's daughter Aimee and sister-in-law Jade Wright have launched a Go Fund Me campaign to alleviate some of the financial strain.

The fundraiser has seen a surge of support, amassing over £15,000 in just a few days, thanks to the generosity of people moved by Stephanie's plight.

Aimee, now home in Wales, said: "Whilst she is being supported in Alicante by my dats, uncles and her partner, I just want to try and do something to help support my family whilst I'm back in Wales. My mum is only 42 and me and my brothers and sister need her to wake up and fight to get better so she can come home to us. My mum is the most selfless person in the whole world and has always put others before herself and now I'm asking for help for her when she needs it the most."

Aimee highlighted her mother's dedication to helping others: "She's worked as a nurse herself, a midwife and then a bereavement midwife supporting families. I want to raise as much money as I can to relieve the financial pressures on my family. I would just like to thank you in advance for taking the time to read my story and for any money you can spare."

The community response saw thousands of pounds raised shortly after the fundraising page went live, smashing the initial goal and a subsequent second one within days. Overcome with gratitude for the outpouring of help towards her mum, Aimee added: "We honestly can't believe the generosity and support my mum has received. We as a family would like to say a huge thank you for the continued support - I can't believe we have hit our second target of £15,000.

"Although this is a huge amount, my mum is currently self-employed so is therefore having no income whilst in intensive care. The road to recovery will be long and I want to ensure a family member can be with mum in Alicante at all times so she isn't on her own. To try and remove some of the financial pressure for us to do this we are going to increase the target to £20,000, so please keep sharing. If there is any money from the donations left over, once mum is home and better this will be donated to an aneurysm charity."

You can donate to the GoFundMe here