Grandmother “held hostage” in Turkish hospital and won’t be released until family pays first £100,000

A British grandmother is being ‘held hostage’ in a Turkish intensive care unit as doctors say she has racked up a £190,000 medical bill and they will not release her to be flown home to the UK until her family die paid the first £100,000.

The family of a 79-year-old grandmother are asking the public for help with her return to the UK as she is currently being held at a hospital in Antalya, Turkey.

Lucy Groves, the Briton’s daughter, said her mother went on holiday to Turkey to meet friends but while on holiday she felt “seriously unwell” and suffered a heart attack.

The grandmother was intubated and had to undergo emergency triple heart bypass surgery to save her life.

Although her daughter rushed to be by her side, she then contracted pneumonia and had to be reintubated to rest her lungs. After five days, the hospital had to wake up the grandmother, but she suffered from bleeding in her abdominal muscles and was reintubated for the third time.

The family of a 79-year-old grandmother are asking the public for help so they can bring her back to the UK

Her daughter Lucy Groves is worried about her mother being alone in a ‘foreign land’.

Lucy announced that she is now conscious but still critical and is in intensive care at the foreign hospital.

She’s only been able to briefly WhatsApp her mother three times and worries that “she’s alone in a foreign country and doesn’t really know what she’s been through.”

The family initially believed their insurance would cover the medical bills, which have totaled up to £190,000, but were told their policy was void because they had not declared any illness before the incident.

The family is “devastated” and concerned for their mother as she “doesn’t have that much money to pay for”.

Lucy has set up a fundraiser and is “begging for every little help” to get her mum home as the hospital can’t move her and will withhold her passport until £100,000 is paid.

She said: “I really hate doing this and anyone who knows me knows I don’t like asking for help but on this occasion I really need it

“As a family we are devastated and are doing everything we can to try and pay to get her back to the UK once she is well enough to travel.”

In an updated post yesterday, Lucy thanked people for their donations and support during this difficult time.

The hospital where the grandmother is currently staying has declined the family’s request to video call her mother until the payments are settled

She added that after speaking to the Turkish consulate, the family were promised a video call with their mother, but were disappointed when asked to settle the payments instead.

After being told they didn’t have the money yet, they were denied the video call.

The 79-year-old’s concerned daughter said the family “just hope mum doesn’t think we abandoned her in a foreign country”.

To donate to the fundraiser, click here.