A young Brit mum is stuck in a Spanish hospital over Christmas after she had part of her skull removed due to a sudden stroke.
Robyn Taylor was visiting her parents Tony and Karen Sumner in Murcia when she was found on the bedroom floor, days before she was due to return home. The 34-year-old was rushed to hospital, where she suffered two brain haemorrhages and had part of her skull removed as she was placed in a coma for two weeks.
The family from Chesire has launched an online fundraiser in a bid to get Robyn home and begin her recovery. Dad Tony 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.”
Tony and Karen have lived in Spain for 15 years and Robyn was visiting them with her daughter Alana, 10, in September, when she had the stroke, reports the Mirror. Alana is currently staying with her grandparents, who look after her, work and spend as much time as possible at the hospital with Robyn.
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
Although efforts have been made to shield Alana from the worst of it she has been told her mum may not be the same again. Tony added: “It is all up in the air and that is the frustration. We try to remain positive.”
The fundraiser, which has reached its £12,000 target, was launched by Robyn’s cousin, Stephen. He wrote: “Robyn spent two harrowing weeks in a coma and, though she has regained wakefulness, she faces a daunting battle ahead. 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.”
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