British dad, 51, is left fighting for his life after a freak fall while using the gym during a Turkish holiday – as family launch desperate fundraising campaign for £24,000 treatment
A father-of-two from Birmingham is fighting for his life in a Turkish hospital after suddenly having ‘no feeling on one side of his body’ following a fall at the gym just hours after flying on holiday with his family.
Marlon McCormack, 51, suffered a brain haemorrhage and is currently in an induced coma as his family pleads for donations to raise urgent money to pay his medical bills.
Fiancée Anna Ryan, 41, says she has set aside £3,000 for his care but is now being asked to pay out £24,000 for additional treatments as they have no travel insurance.
“Marlon got up early to go to the gym,” she said BirminghamLive a day after the freak accident. “He came back and said he fell while he was there.
“He fell asleep again and when he woke up he couldn’t stand; it looked like he had had a stroke. We called an ambulance and he was rushed to hospital.”
Marlon (left) said he fell in the gym while on holiday in Turkey before losing feeling in his body
The forklift driver from Chelmsley Wood had planned a ‘last-minute’ getaway with his family, leaving for Turkey on Wednesday.
Anna said she slept in on Thursday morning when Marlon got up early to go to the gym.
When Marlon returned and was rushed to hospital, Anna was told that her fiancé’s treatment would continue without payment, but that the money would have to be found.
A fundraising campaign has been set up GoFundMe confirmed today that Marlon underwent the surgery on Thursday.
“Due to the language barrier, we thought it was a success, but they were not able to remove all the mass in his brain from the cerebral hemorrhage and he remains in critical condition,” organizer Cherry Ryan wrote.
She thanked donors for their support as almost £10,000 had already been raised.
On Thursday, she said Marlon had been placed in an induced coma in intensive care while the family remained “by his side.”
She said the cost of the operation would be £24,000, plus £1,500 a day for care during four weeks of recovery.
They previously said the hospital had demanded £25,000 in advance for the treatment.
Donors have left touching words of tribute in support of Marlon as he undergoes care.
‘Because I fell last night while on holiday, I really feel for you. I was very lucky and ended up with only stitches, but I’d like to think there would have been someone there for me too. Good luck everyone x,” said Neil Phillips.
“Get well soon soldier, praying for you,” wrote Mark Ward.
‘Marlon, I wish you a full and speedy recovery. From the entire team at RCM Ltd,” added Kiran Gill.
Anna Ryan (R) said she raised the initial £3,000 payment for Marlon (CR)’s treatment, but the family are now crowdfunding for hospital support and are asking for tens of thousands
Anna said: ‘I’m being asked to pay a lot of money that I don’t have.
‘They want £24,000 for surgery and then there’s four weeks of recovery which we also have to fund.
‘We don’t have that much money, I don’t know what to do.
‘Nothing like this has ever happened to me before.
“We need as much help as we can get.”