A man has endured a holiday from hell after Thomas Cook collapsed - days after he was admitted to hospital.
North Shields' Brad Maddison had been planning a week-long break with his partner all year only to be struck down with pneumonia days into the Turkey trip.
Then in a further blow, the airline he was flying with went bust on Monday morning.
The 36-year-old is one of 150,000 Brits currently stranded abroad after the holiday firm folded after last-minute Government rescue talks failed.
And from his hospital bed he admits: "You couldn't write it.
"I'm just gutted. You work hard, save your money up only to spend half of your holiday in hospital."
He was struck down with the lung infection days after arriving for his all-inclusive break to Marmaris.
Eventually he was admitted to hospital on Saturday where doctors are monitoring his condition and carrying out regular x-rays.
"I came here last year with my boyfriend and last year he was in hospital - now it is me," said the telecommunications worker.
"Two years in a row now and we've been really unlucky."
But his luck got even worse when Thomas Cook collapsed, taking with it over 21,000 jobs.
Within hours, the Government announced it would ensure everyone stuck abroad would be flown back to Britain within a fortnight.
Dozens of planes will start flying holidaymakers back from today in the biggest ever peacetime repatriation.
The UK Civil Aviation Authority has also set up a website for passengers to check their flights.
But while Brad thinks it shouldn't impact him too much, he is concerned for others.
"I'm due to travel back on September 25, and the website states the flights are currently due to fly back at the same time as before," he said.
"We have had advance warning of this and the Government must have known as this contingency plans would have taken weeks to sort out otherwise.
"Nobody is going to be stranded and if I'm here for a couple more days, well mint.
"But everyone will get back yet there are a lot of people this morning who do not have a job, who will be thinking how am I going to pay my rent or mortgage."
