Carlisle couple travel to Tenerife after mother falls ill at Christmas

30-year-old Megan Francis, a self-employed courier and her partner Kieren McGrady, a 41-year-old Rescue and Recovery Area Service Manager, who both live in Carlisle started a fundraiser after Megan’s mother became seriously ill on holiday in Tenerife, on December, 24.

Julie Heald, who lived in Carlisle for two years wanted to be closer to Megan and her grandchildren before moving back to South Normanton in Derbyshire.

Julie has a severe case of pneumonia which hasn’t been responding to antibiotics as well as it should have been. Another CT scan ruled out a pulmonary embolism but unfortunately did show a serious infection in both of Julie’s lungs which is obviously going to hinder her recovery and delay further her return to the UK.

The couple with the campervan they have hired to stay in at Tenerife  (Image: Supplied)  She is still currently in ICU on a high pressure oxygen mask assisting her breathing. Without the assistance she cannot maintain healthy oxygen levels on her own.

Megan said her mum has been on ICU in Tenerife since Christmas eve we are unsure on how long she will be kept there, and she is due to fly back on Sunday the 5th of January but due to her condition we don’t see this being possible.”

Megan and Kieren have now flown out to see Julie in hospital, with hopes that eventually her sisters can also get out to see their mum.

After setting up the page, Megan said: “Obviously flights to and from Tenerife, accommodation and just surviving her are depleting funds rapidly. Megan and I have travelled out here and hired a 31-year-old VW camper van and are staying in the hospital car park.

“We are using our own money and savings at the moment to try to make the gofund.me donations stretch further and make sure Michelle and Maddie can get here and are looked after.

“We would like to express our gratitude to the people who have donated, not only that but the overwhelming response we have had from the locals of Tenerife and the British community staying and living here.

“We have had so many people reaching out to us offering us help, use of their hotel rooms, apartments, bars to charge our phones, get showers, time to rest, a bit to eat and even a beer.”

The couple smashed their fundraising target with more that £3,000 being raised in just a matter of days, however they are going to keep the page open, after initial predicted costs have gone up since the creation of the page.

Kieren said: “We’ve actually broken the target now but when we made it we hadn’t realised how expensive this was going to be so are going to keep it running.

“It’s just so Meg and I can stay as long as possible with Julie then we have to return home and get Megan’s sisters Maddie and Michelle out here to stay with Julie until she gets better.”

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