Charlie Smith’s family desperately appeal after horrific holiday balcony fall
A mother is desperately trying to raise £5,000 to bring her injured son home from holiday after he fell from a balcony.
Heather Smith, of Havelock Road, Gravesend, was in Turkey with sons Charlie Smith, 25, and Kane Parry, 7, when last Friday (5) Charlie fell from the third floor balcony of their hotel.
Charlie, who is dad to 11-month-old Levi, broke his back in three places and remains in a Turkish hospital, but doctors say he needs specialist treatment that is not available there.
The family had taken out travel insurance from Virgin,
but there is a clause in the terms and conditions stating it will not pay out for “any claim caused by you climbing, jumping or moving from one balcony to another regardless of the height of the balcony”.
Heather has already raised £7,000 through family donations, but needs to reach £12,000 to pay for his flight home.
Then there will be medical fees to pay on top of that.
The 45-year-old said: “He had gone out on the balcony for a cigarette. I heard him screaming. I don’t know how he fell.
“He had an emergency operation but he has pieces of bone lodged in his spinal cord and needs a special operation. The doctors said if he doesn’t have it done soon he might not walk again.”
Heather had to leave Charlie in hospital and fly back to Gravesend as Kane, who is autistic, was not coping well.
She will fly out tomorrow (Friday) to get a police report in order to show to the insurance company.
“Virgin said it was 50:50 whether they would pay it,” she said. “Until then I have got to find the money.
Virgin is looking into the claim.