British tourist Guy Evans (Photo: GoFundMe)
A British man is left unable to walk and facing huge medical bills after breaking his neck while on holiday in France, all because he traveled without insurance.Jay Evans, 30, suffered a life-changing injury while visiting his father’s holiday home in the Loire Valley with his brother Stan on April 19.What started as a simple attempt to remove broken tree branches from the garden quickly turned into a nightmare when Jay fell nearly 10 feet onto a stone wall after a branch broke beneath him.
A British paragraph was “obliterated” in a strange accident
The freelance copywriter was rushed to hospital, where doctors revealed he had fractured the C6 vertebra in his neck.Describing the terrifying ordeal from his hospital bed, Jay said he had “obliterated” one of the vertebrae near the top of his spine.“Fortunately I did not sever my spinal cord, which would have been a curtain call for me,” he said.Doctors performed a six-hour emergency surgery the day after the accident, rebuilding the damaged vertebra using bone taken from his left hip. This was followed by a second operation a week later.
No travel insurance leaves the family facing high costs
While Jay has since returned to the UK to receive treatment at King’s College Hospital in south London, his family has been left scrambling to cover high medical and repatriation expenses as he did not take out travel insurance before the trip.
Jay admitted his mistake and said: “I’m a stupid, stupid boy. You always think these things won’t happen to you.”His younger brother Robbie Evans has launched a GoFundMe page to help pay for mounting costs, including returning Guy to Britain and supporting his rehabilitation.
GoFundMe donations are pouring in
The fundraising campaign struck a chord with people online and quickly surpassed the £102,000 mark.In an update shared on the fundraising page, Robbie said the family was “absolutely overwhelmed” by the outpouring of support from strangers.He explained that part of the funds have already been used for Jay’s medical transfer to the UK, while the remaining funds will help support his long recovery process and future living arrangements if he does not regain full mobility.
He still can’t walk
Although Jay has regained some movement in his arms and hands, he is still unable to walk and now faces months of intensive rehabilitation.According to him, the first 18 months after this injury are crucial for recovery.Despite the ordeal, Jay says he feels the lucky doctors were able to save his spinal cord from further catastrophic damage.