A British woman who plunged from a third-floor hotel balcony while celebrating her 30th birthday in Greece may be left paralysed, a friend has revealed.
Denby McLaren, 30, suffered a broken vertebra and multiple fractures to her foot in the fall, which happened on Rhodes on October 6.
The cabin crew worker was on holiday with her mum, Sharon, when the trip turned into a nightmare.
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She has been unable to move her legs since the accident and remains in hospital in Greece, with her family anxiously waiting to learn whether she has suffered permanent injuries, as reported by Need To Know.
Her partner, Craig Anderson, travelled to Greece to be by her side, while her loved ones are desperately trying to get her home to Larkhall, Scotland.
Mum Sharon said: “No one deserves to go through this after a beautiful birthday celebration – we just need her home.
“I appreciate everything everyone is doing for my gorgeous girl.”
Family friend Leeanne Weir said: “It’s absolutely horrific.
“She can’t move her legs; she has a broken vertebra and multiple broken bones.
“The biggest worry is that she can’t move her legs and we don’t know whether this has affected her spine and if she will be paralysed.
“But she is also lucky to be alive after a fall like that.
“Denby is a lovely girl, just a really sweet person.
“It’s awful what’s happened to her.”
Denby needs specialist air ambulance repatriation, travelling on a stretcher with medical assistance throughout the journey.
Although she has medical cover, her travel insurance did not cover the cost of the specialist transfer.
Leeanne said: “The worry is also that the longer she is there in Greece, all the other bills are going up for every extra day they are there.
“Apart from the severity of the injuries, they have the language barrier and the added pressure of just trying to get home.”
A fundraiser has been launched to help pay for the £28,000 repatriation, with £21,581 raised at the time of writing.
The appeal said: “No family should ever have to experience something like this, and never in a million years did we imagine we would find ourselves in this position.
“Denby was on holiday in Greece with her mum, celebrating what should have been a very special milestone – her 30th birthday.
“What should have been a happy time filled with memories has turned into every family’s worst nightmare.”
It added: “We want nothing more than for Denby to be back on home soil, surrounded by her family, where she can receive the ongoing medical care and treatment she needs and begin the long road to recovery with her loved ones by her side.
“Right now, being able to get her home safely is our greatest priority.”
Leeanne added: “We just want to get her home and start being cared for at home.”
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