British beauty therapist, 21, ‘may never walk again’ after falling 60ft from balcony in Thailand

A British beauty therapist ‘may never walk again’ after she fell 60ft from a second-floor balcony while on holiday in Thailand.

Maddi Neale-Shankster, 21, from Coventry, was paralysed from the waist down after falling from a hotel balcony on New Year’s Eve on the island of Ko Pha-Ngan. 

Maddi’s family have managed to raise £75,000 to bring her back to the UK with a specialist team after they discovered her travel insurance did not cover the cost of transporting her home.

Maddi’s family have managed to raise £75,000 to bring her back to the UK with a specialist team after they discovered her travel insurance did not cover the cost of transporting her home. Pictured: Maddi’s mother Karen lying next to her daughter in hospital 

Maddi had been spending New Year’s Eve with her partner and friends in Ko Pha-Ngan when she fell 60ft from the hotel balcony. 

The 21-year-old suffered a broken back, two collapsed lungs and her liver had been pierced by her ribs following the fall. 

Her mother, Karen Moseley-Neale, told the BBC: ‘Before the accident, I was on FaceTime to Maddi. An hour later, we got a phone call from her partner and all I could hear is Maddi screaming in the background and the sirens blaring.’

Karen and Maddi’s father, Jamie Shankster, flew to Thailand to be at their daughter’s bedside and speak with doctors and officials from the British embassy.

The parents now fear Maddi ‘may never walk again’ after the devastating fall. 

‘Since the fall we are now coping with the realisation that potentially Maddi may never walk again,’ her family said. ‘After the fall Maddi was left on the floor for 40 minutes helpless until an ambulance finally arrived.’

Maddi was rushed to hospital where surgeons performed surgery on the 21-year-old’s back. Her condition has improved significantly over the past week.

Speaking about Maddi’s condition, Karen said: ‘She’s really well in herself, she’s sitting up, she’s certainly found her sense of humour. She’s actually lucky to be here only for the grace of God and the surgeons.’

The family set up a Go Fund Me page to raise money to cover the costs of Maddi’s medical costs and her journey back to the UK with a specialist team. 

They have managed to raise over £75,000 so far, surpassing their original target of £73,500. The family said any additional money raised would be donated to charity.

Maddi Neale-Shankster, 21, from Coventry, was paralysed from the waist down after falling from a hotel balcony (pictured) on New Year’s Eve on the island of Ko Pha-Ngan

Maddi (pictured) had been spending New Year’s Eve with her partner and friends in Ko Pha-Ngan when she fell 60ft from the hotel balcony

The money will go towards flying out a specialist team to Thailand with all of the necessary medical equipment to fly her home safely.

Maddi’s family said her lungs are not stable enough to fly without special ICD drains, which help drain excess fluid. 

The family wrote on the Go Fund Me page: ‘To fly without ICD drains the nurses have advised us we will not be able to fly home for one whole year. 

‘This is not an option, every single minute here is time taken away from her rehabilitation at home and chance to get the right help to encourage walking again.

‘To put it in black and white – ICD drains require a whole medical team at a high cost but no ICD drains means we can’t fly home for 12 months. Any donations will only go on medication and transfer costs.’

The family have since raised over £75,000 after 1,500 people donated to their fundraising page.

‘We can’t thank everyone enough for their generosity, well wishes and support. We are eternally grateful,’ Karen said. 

The mother urged anyone travelling abroad to check their insurance cover carefully so that they don’t end up in the same position.

Karen said: ‘Maddi took holiday insurance while in Thailand for 10,000 baht (£247). She thought it was £10,000… I’d hate for anybody to be in this position.’