A mum has revealed that she’s been left unable to walk properly after a horrific motorbike accident while on holiday – and had to fork out £9,000 to return home.
Chloe Mackie had dreamed about swimming with dolphins ever since she was a little girl.
And so, when a bargain trip costing just £3,000 to Turkey, advertising the excursion came up, she booked it immediately.
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Along with her mum and two sons [not named for privacy reasons], they jetted off to the holiday destination – but then disaster struck.
Now, the 37-year-old has been left with life-changing injuries, including the possibility she may never walk properly again, after a speeding motorbike smashed into her and her nine-year-old son.
“I was catapulted into the air and landed with a thump on the ground,” the former youth engagement worker, from Lancashire, told Need To Know.
“My legs splayed like a pair of scissors as agonising pain shot through me.
“I tried to frantically move myself to see if anybody else had been hit – but I couldn’t stand.
“As I looked on the road, I was horrified as I saw my little boy lying face down, not moving.
“I dragged my body over the tarmac and held him in my arms as blood trickled down his face.
“When he started moving and asked for me, I was relieved.
“But then I realised my legs had gone entirely numb – and the reality set in.”
Chloe had arrived too early at the venue for her dolphin swimming excursion.
She decided to take her two sons, along with her mum, to a nearby steakhouse across the road to kill some time.
Although she checked both directions and waited until the lights turned red, a speeding motorbike wasn’t able to stop in time.
The pair were swiftly taken to the hospital, where X-rays confirmed she had broken two bones in her lower leg and damaged the joint behind her knee.
Her son, however, was left with only a few cuts and grazes.
Medics advised Chloe she’d need an emergency operation, though, without insurance, this would cost £1,200.
She said: “My heart fell.
“I needed surgery urgently because the pain was excruciating.
“I’d switched banks a while earlier and had mistakenly assumed the package, which included health cover, would transfer over.
“Luckily, I was able to raise the money through my dad, grandma, sister and colleagues.
“And so the operation went ahead.”
Chloe tried to focus on recovering before they were due to fly home, but her nightmare was far from over.
Doctors allegedly told her she wouldn’t be allowed unless she had a “Fit to Fly” document.
But it would cost £9,000.
The mum said: “I felt helpless.
“I went into a state of panic as I truly didn’t know where I would get that money from in such a short amount of time.
“After a frantic moment, I phoned my dad, who said he would book a solicitor appointment and ask to take his inheritance early from my grandma’s will.
“He also used some of his hard-earned savings.
“It made me feel so guilty, as that money wasn’t mine – it was for his future.”
Chloe had no other choice, though, so she accepted the money.
Sadly, as the operation wasn’t carried out correctly, she currently isn’t able to walk properly.
And it’s likely she never will be able to again.
In another blow, the mum-of-two found out the biker wasn’t going to be prosecuted for his actions in October 2023.
She added: “I need to have another operation to regain more movement, but I’m so tired.
“I won’t ever be able to do the things I love, such as horse-riding.
“And I’ve had to give up my job, as my leg constantly swells, causing me so much pain.
“It also means my dream of swimming with dolphins will never come true.
“Whenever we go out now, I tense at busy roads and sometimes can’t bring myself to cross.
“Also, the money I borrowed from my dad has caused a huge strain on our relationship, as it’s left him struggling each month.
“I’m forever in debt to him.
“It should have been a memorable, happy holiday.
“But instead, it was a nightmare come true.
“We will never go to Turkey again.”
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