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Paul Grant had travelled to Lanzarote on September 11 with his mother, sister and brother-in-law for a week-long all-inclusive trip to celebrate his mother's birthday. The family spent their first day relaxing by the hotel pool. That night, everything changed.

 

At around 5.00am, Paul's mother, who was sharing a room with him, found him having a seizure and covered in blood. The family believe he fell during the seizure and struck his head against a wall. An ambulance was called and he was rushed to a local hospital, where doctors discovered a brain haemorrhage and simultaneous kidney and liver failure. He was placed in a medically induced coma and admitted to intensive care.

 

Given the severity of his condition and the limitations of local facilities, Paul was airlifted from Lanzarote to Doctor Negrín University Hospital in Gran Canaria, one of the leading medical centres in the archipelago. There, surgeons discovered critical pressure on the brain and told the family that emergency surgery was the only option. Part of the right side of his skull was removed to relieve that pressure. Without the operation, the family were told, he would not have survived.

 

Paul remains sedated and in critical condition. His family have stayed in the Canary Islands while he receives specialist treatment, and have already spent more than £1,500, around €1,700, on additional flights and accommodation on top of their original holiday costs. A GoFundMe campaign has raised more than £5,000 to help cover those costs.

 

His sister said that Paul had suffered a previous seizure several months earlier, following a violent mugging in Newcastle in which his wallet and mobile phone were stolen. She said the Lanzarote holiday had held particular significance for him after what had been a difficult period.

 

The family are now waiting for news on his prognosis, which remains guarded.

 

 

Image: wikicommons