Family appeal for help to pay £40k medical flight

Lavelle Crutchley has been in hospital in Fuerteventura since late April due to liver failure

A £40,000 fundraising campaign has been launched to fly a mother-of-four home to the UK after she fell ill on holiday in the Canary Islands.

Lavelle Crutchley, from Bradwell, Newcastle-under-Lyme, is in hospital in Fuerteventura after suffering liver failure in April while on a break with two of her children.

Ms Crutchley, who did not have travel insurance, needs medical repatriation because of the seriousness of her condition

"She doesn't deserve to die alone in hospital," said her mother Julie Hankey, who described the situation as "heart-wrenching."

Ms Hankey said her 45-year-old daughter's health had not been good before the holiday because of liver problems, but she had wanted to go with her teenage boys, as it was "probably the last time she could go".

Describing that decision as "the biggest mistake she could make," Ms Hankey, who is now looking after her teenage grandchildren, is taking them back out to Fuerteventura on Tuesday so they can see their mum again, "in case it is the last goodbye."

Lavelle Crutchley was on holiday with two of her children when she became ill

Ms Hankey believes her daughter thought she would have been ineligible for travel insurance because of her pre-existing condition, but would be okay on a short break.

But, Ms Crutchley became ill a couple of days after arriving in Fuerteventura on 16 April, and has been in hospital since late April, where she was told she had liver failure, and "there was nothing more they could do", said her mother.

The family has raised money towards the £40,000 cost of a medical flight home, but have set up the online fundraiser to help finance remaining costs, and there is also plan to organise a fundraising event, as well.

A "substantial" amount has been raised, but they were still short and time is not on her daughter's side, said Ms Hankey.

Although everybody involved in her daughter's care in Fuerteventura had been wonderful, Ms Hankey said: "I'm just hoping to get her home to spend time with her family."