A family is pleading for the public to help foot a sick gran's medical bills as she fights for her life in a Dubai hospital.
The gran from Wallsend, east of Newcastle, is stranded in the United Arab Emirates with a rising medical bill of almost £80,000 after travelling to visit family.
Margo Ashurst, 78, and husband Tom, 81, travelled to see their only daughter Lydia, who has lived in the UAE for almost a decade.
But their trip of a lifetime turned into a nightmare after Margo collapsed and was rushed into hospital - but didn't have any travel insurance, reports Chronicle Live.
Lydia, 57, asked her dad to gather their travel documents and it was at this point when she discovered the pensioners had not taken out an insurance policy.
An ambulance took Margo to the nearest hospital, a private centre which cost a whopping £3,000 just to admit her into A&E.
It was there where doctors discovered the former Currys worker had pnuemonia.
Lydia said: "My heart stopped. We couldn't believe what was happening. I was so confused that she had pneumonia and was thinking when and where she would have got it."
Just two days later, the family was left shell-shocked after Tom got rushed into a government hospital, also with pneumonia.
With their parents in different hospitals a 45-minute drive apart, Lydia and brother Stephen were both taking shifts to be by the sides of their parents.
Margo was released temporarily with the aid of oxygen and it was hoped the couple would head back to England together last month.
Tom was in hospital for two weeks and deemed well enough to board a flight back to the UK. But he had to reluctantly leave his sweetheart behind after her health deteriorated.
She was rushed back to hospital and taken into an intensive care unit, where she continues to fight for her life.
Mentally and physically drained, the family can only helplessly wait and hope Margo's condition improves.
Without medical insurance, they are facing a medical bill for the elderly couple they simply cannot afford.
Tom's treatment cost £6,000 but Margo's care bill continue to rise and is close to reaching £80,000.
Lydia, a school events coordinator, said: "The staff, doctors, surgeons and nurses have been nothing but spectacular. Mum had been sedated and intubated until she underwent a tracheostomy to aid her breathing and recovery.
"The doctors told us the surgery was a success and they're now attempting to reduce the sedation to slowly wake her up.
"I just don't know what we're going to do with this bill. I'm legally committed to paying £20,000 but we don't know about the rest. I've told them we don't have the money.
"It's not something you want to think about when your mother is in a critical condition in hospital.
"It just goes to show how important it is to be insured. At times like this it makes you really appreciate the NHS.
"It all happened so quickly and it is so scary not knowing what is going to happen.
"I am mentally and emotionally exhausted. We just hope mum can improve so we have a chance to get her home."
Granddaughter Amy, who lives in Whitley Bay, has now launched a GoFundMe page to help pay for Margo's flight home to the North East.
The family has been left overwhelmed after raising more than £9,000 in just a week.
It is the longest in their 57-year relationship that the couple, who have two grandchildren and one great-grandchild, have been apart and Amy says her grandad is lost without Margo by his side.
Amy, 32, said: "It's been so rough for us all. Since my grandad came back I've been seeing him every other day.
"He's loving and caring and has practically been my nana's carer for the past 20 years or so. It's so difficult for him that they're separate.
"We're a proud family and would never ask for money like this but we're left with no alternative. I can't put into words how grateful we are for people who have donated."
To donate, you can visit the page here.
