Bride Paralysed In Honeymoon Balcony Fall

Bride Paralysed In Honeymoon Balcony Fall
UK, Thursday August 19, 2010

Damien Pearse, Sky News Online

A bride has been left paralysed after falling from a hotel balcony while on honeymoon in Corfu.


Michael has been sleeping in a chair since the accident - Photo: Mediaviation.com


Carrie-Anne Freeland broke her spine in three places after losing her footing and plunging 20ft after a romantic meal with new husband Michael Dudbridge.

Disaster struck just days after the couple were married and embarked on a dream honeymoon, a surprise gift from wedding guests.

Now friends and family have launched a campaign to bring Carrie-Anne home after being told they will have to fork out £16,000 for a specially equipped air ambulance.


Carrie-Anne is mainly sleeping but she has spoken to me and she's scared to death. She's desperate to get home to have an operation and see her family.

Husband Michael Dudbridge
An appeal has also been placed on the Millwall FC website, as the couple are fans.

Mr Dudbridge, 29, from Lewisham, south London, said he and his bride were stranded on the Greek island with no money after making the trip without any travel insurance.

They wrongly believed they were covered by the European Health Insurance Card (EHIC), known as the E111.

But while the card guarantees Carrie-Anne will "receive the same level of medical health care as a local resident" it does not cover any travel costs.

Mr Dudbridge, a builder, said the accident happened after his wife, a primary school secretary, went out to get some fresh air after the meal.



Carrie-Anne and Michael on their wedding day - Photo: Mediaviation.com


"We had literally just got married and only had another day of our honeymoon before coming home," he told Sky News Online from her bedside.

"We went out for dinner and when we got back Carrie-Anne was feeling a bit dizzy as it's just so hot out here.

"I was lying on the bed and my wife went out onto the balcony to get some air.

"The next thing I heard was a big thud and I dashed out and saw my wife lying on the ground.



Carrie-Anne has broken her spine in three places - Photo: Mediaviation.com


"I ran down and she was trying to get up but I just said 'don't you dare until we get you some help'. I just lay next to her."

Mr Dudbridge added: "I’ve been sitting in the hospital, sleeping in a chair and we're desperate to get her home.

"Carrie-Anne is mainly sleeping but she has spoken to me and she's scared to death. She's desperate to get home to have an operation and see her family."

Doctors in Corfu will conduct further tests this week to establish how serious the injuries are.

It is understood at least one of the fractures is "serious".

The government warns the EHIC is "not a substitute for private travel insurance" and states that "it will not cover the costs of being brought back to the UK".

The special donation page is hoping to raise £16,000 to get Carrie-Anne home.



http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/fundraiser-web/fundraiser/showFundraiserProfilePage.action?userUrl=mediaviation-private.air.ambulance

Wouldn"t you think Richard Branson would pay for this to get the publicity .........he can certainly afford it.

Panda wrote:

Wouldn"t you think Richard Branson would pay for this to get the publicity .........he can certainly afford it.

You would think someone big would step in. It must be very hard on her husband watching his new wife just lying there.

Good news is someone has stumped up the money now so they can come home and hopefully get the treatment she needs.

Very important to remember to get travel insurance.We went to France couple of years ago ski'ing and wifey broke her arm.Got flown home first class and met by private ambulance and home all for 80 quid with the Post Office Insurance.

Sky News

An appeal to raise £16,000 to bring a newly-wed back to the UK after she broke her back on honeymoon has already reached its target.

Carrie-Anne Dudbridge broke her spine in three places after losing her footing and plunging 20ft from a balcony after a romantic meal with new husband Michael.

Disaster struck just days after the couple were married and embarked on a dream honeymoon, a surprise gift from wedding guests.

Friends and family launched a campaign to bring Carrie-Anne home after being told they would have to fork out £16,000 for a specially equipped air ambulance.

An appeal was also placed on the Millwall FC website, as the couple are fans.

Today, just hours after the story was posted on websites, including on Sky News Online, the target was reached.

One generous donor pledged £5,000.

Mr Dudbridge, 29, from Lewisham, south London, said he and his bride were stranded on the Greek island with no money after making the trip without any travel insurance.

They wrongly believed they were covered by the European Health Insurance Card (EHIC), known as the E111.

But while the card guarantees Carrie-Anne will "receive the same level of medical health care as a local resident" it does not cover any travel costs.

Mr Dudbridge, a builder, said the accident happened after his wife, a primary school secretary, went out to get some fresh air after the meal.

"We had literally just got married and only had another day of our honeymoon before coming home," he told Sky News Online from her bedside.

"We went out for dinner and when we got back Carrie-Anne was feeling a bit dizzy as it's just so hot out here.

"I was lying on the bed and my wife went out onto the balcony to get some air.

"The next thing I heard was a big thud and I dashed out and saw my wife lying on the ground.

"I ran down and she was trying to get up but I just said 'don't you dare until we get you some help'. I just lay next to her."

Mr Dudbridge added: "I’ve been sitting in the hospital, sleeping in a chair and we're desperate to get her home.

"Carrie-Anne is mainly sleeping but she has spoken to me and she's scared to death. She's desperate to get home to have an operation and see her family."

Doctors in Corfu will conduct further tests this week to establish how serious the injuries are.

It is understood at least one of the fractures is "serious", though it is expected that Carrie-Anne will not be left paralysed.

The government warns the EHIC is "not a substitute for private travel insurance" and states that "it will not cover the costs of being brought back to the UK".

Now let me get this right, a british subject gets badly injured in a foreign country and someone has to PAY to have her flown back?

Shame her last name isnt mccann.



Makes my blood boil when you think someone like branson pays out thousands to protect child neglectors yet wont help a person who may off flown out by his airways and paid thro the bloody nose to use his aircraft!!


If you use either biritish airways or virgin THEN THEY SHOULD PAY regardless off insurance....or not.

I do hope the young women will be ok what a awful thing to happen to her

in january i fell backwoods in a hotel room and hit my head on a glass table and split my head open 4cm i had to pay a 1000 dollar fora ambo because the state where we were staying my medical wasnt covered it sucked!!!!

im really glad that everything is sorted out now , yes they would have got all the help if their names were mcann

where was the foreign office in all this? where was the consular assistance? we got 60 some million for the pakistan floods; got no real problem with that folks; but can't stump up 16 grand?

If someone from another country came over here and broke their back im damn sure that person would get looked after using OUR national health service which WE pay for.