Mother who had stroke at 34 is lying helpless in Spanish hospital as family try to raise £12,500 to fly her home to UK
A mother who had a massive stroke while in Spain has been left helpless in hospital.
Robyn Taylor cannot speak, is paralysed on her right-hand side, blind in one eye and is given food and water via a tube into her stomach.
She had been visiting her parents Tony and Karen Sumner in Murcia when tragedy struck on September 11, the day before she was due to return home.
She was found on the bedroom after she had a severe stroke and she was rushed to hospital.
Once there she had two brain haemorrhages and had part of her skull removed.
Although she is out of a coma, the 34-year-old, of Upton Priory, Cheshire, remains in hospital and needs repatriating to the UK, where she can receive the rehabilitation she cannot get in Spain.
A fundraiser, which has reached its £12,000 target, was launched by Robyn’s cousin, Stephen to help with the costs.
He wrote: ‘Robyn spent two harrowing weeks in a coma and, though she has regained wakefulness, she faces a daunting battle ahead.
Robyn Taylor, pictured, cannot speak, is paralysed on her right-hand side, blind in one eye and is given food and water via a tube into her stomach
She had been visiting her parents Tony and Karen Sumner in Murcia when tragedy struck on September 11, the day before she was due to return home.
‘She is paralysed on her right side, unable to speak, and cannot respond to simple requests.
‘Every passing day without specialized care diminishes her chances of recovery. Robyn urgently needs to return to the UK to receive life-changing neuro-rehabilitation—care that she is not covered for under her GHIC card in Spain.
‘This rehabilitation could help her regain some independence and improve her quality of life, but it is only available to her in the UK.’
The family’s main concern is getting Robyn home where she can begin physiotherapy, speech therapy and neuro stimulation. It is currently unknown which parts of the brain can function again
Mr Sumner, 59, said: ‘We have lots of photos of her and the family on the wall in her room, in the hope it jogs something.
‘Some days we get recognition from her, other days we get nothing. She has no history of stroke symptoms and there is no family history, we want to know why it happened at such a young age.
‘It is a situation you have never been in before, when it first happened it was like a parallel universe and a massive emotional rollercoaster.
‘Three weeks felt like six months, it consumes you and becomes everything you do, think and talk about. Robyn is bubbly and a bit fiery, she’s a loving 34-year-old.’
The two have lived in Spain for 15 years and Robyn visited them with her daughter Alana, 10, on September 1.
Alana is currently staying with her grandparents and has been told her mother may not be the same again.
The family’s main concern is getting Robyn home, where she can begin physiotherapy, speech therapy and neuro stimulation, what parts of the brain can function again and how long this will take remain unknown.
Mr Sumner added: ‘It is all up in the air and that is the frustration. We try to remain positive.’
