Yahoo News Desperate family face £40k race-against-time to fly dying mum, 45, back to UK
The desperate family of a terminally-ill mum-of-four stranded in Fuerteventura are facing a £40,000 bill to fly their loved-one home. Lavelle Crutchley has liver failure and went to the Canaries with her two teenage sons and her brother on one final holiday.
But the 45-year-old has been admitted to hospital and the only way to get her back to North Staffordshire is on a helicopter. The Bradwell mum has been on the island for around three weeks and is receiving end-of-life care.
Now the family have launched an online appeal to try to raise enough money to get Lavelle home.
Mum Julie Hankey said: “We are doing everything we can to raise the £40,000 to get Lavelle home to her family. We’re limited for time and we’ve still got to raise around £16,000 of the cost.
“Family members, and both mine and Lavelle’s son’s employers, have been very generous and have donated lots of money to help us. Me and her two teenage sons have booked a flight to go over to see her next Tuesday because they need to say goodbye.
“If I don’t get the money to get her home then she’s going to die over there, and we don’t want her to die in another country alone. We’re very emotional at the moment.
“It’s difficult speaking to the hospital because it’s a different language, however, the British consul and the social worker who sees Lavelle have been brilliant. But as far as the medical side is concerned, she hasn’t got long to live. She’s certainly fighting for her life over there though.”
To support the online appeal, click here.
