The family of a British father who suffered brain damage after falling from a third-floor hotel balcony has pleaded for help to raise £33,000 to bring him home.
Dan Boyle, 31, was rushed to a hospital in Lanzarote in late April when he fell while on holiday with his girlfriend, Ashleigh Lomas, 30.
Their daughter Daisy, eight, said in a touching message to her father, “I really miss you, Dad. I want you to go home.’
It is believed that Mr Boyle’s lungs filled with fluid due to a chest infection that caused his heart to stop beating and then sent him tumbling over the balcony.
He suffered a fractured skull, a broken sternum, a ruptured kidney, and fractured his ribs in the horrific 30-foot plunge.
Dan Boyle, 31, was rushed to a hospital in Lanzarote in late April when he fell from his third-floor hotel balcony while on holiday with his girlfriend, Ashleigh Lomas, 30 (pictured together)
His family have now released photos of Mr Boyle in a coma as he fights for his life in a Lanzarote hospital
Photos released by his family show Mr Boyle lying in his hospital bed, in a neurological ward, surrounded by masses of life-saving equipment.
Doctors only later discovered that the father-of-two had undiagnosed pneumonia and he was subsequently placed in an induced coma.
Ms Lomas said her family is still trying to raise £33,650 to fly him back to the UK on a medevac plane and described the past few months as a ‘living nightmare’.
Mr Boyle is awake by now and although he is largely unresponsive, Daisy has recorded a personal message for him.
Ms Lomas said: ‘She actually sent him a video message, not knowing I had his phone. She said, ‘Hi daddy. I hope you are doing well at the hospital. I miss you very much.
“Don’t worry, we’re going to find the funding to get you home with everyone.
She also told him what she did swimming that day at school, and then she said, “I really miss you, Dad.” I want you to go home.’
She also shared photos of their other child, Daniel, three, and Daisy wearing matching stencil arm drawings with the words “daddy,” as they try to raise awareness of his cause.
His daughter Daisy (pictured), eight, said in the touching message to her dad, “I really miss you, Dad. i want you home’
Mr Boyle suffered a fractured skull, broken sternum, ruptured kidney and fractured ribs in the horrific 10m dive
Mrs. Lomas continued, “It has been an absolute nightmare, a living nightmare. I would never want something like this to happen to anyone let alone ourselves.
“At this point, he’s been out of anesthesia for a full week. He is classified as being in a vegetative state, but he clearly has time to get out.
‘His eyes are open. His mouth moves. He moves his arms and legs, but he just won’t follow commands when asked to do something.
“It’s just literally a waiting game. But there are no other things going on right now. Everything is fine with him.
“We just need to get him home and with his family so he can hear familiar voices.”
The couple, who have been together for 12 years, arrived on April 23 on the sunny island off the coast of West Africa.
But the accident happened the day after they started their vacation.
Mrs. Lomas said, “He was fine. We were in the pool together half an hour before, laughing and joking.
The couple have been together for 12 years and have two children, Daniel, three, and Daisy
“He coughed a little bit, but we thought it was nothing.
“It wasn’t a constant cough, it was just a little one, so obviously you wouldn’t like it.”
Doctors have told Ms Lomas they believe her partner will have ‘really bad’ damage to his brain, but they won’t know the full extent until he is fully awake.
He will also need to take the specialist flight to his home in Stockport, which is unfortunately not covered by their insurance.
His stepmother, sales manager Paula Boyle, 42, said she had decided to sell her engagement ring to help him return to the UK.
She added, “For me personally, it’s just a necessity. It is a material object.
‘It cost about £2,000 when it was bought ten years ago, but what can an engagement ring get me if we can ever get it back to its family?
“I don’t care because we care more about Dan than my engagement ring.”
Mrs Lomas, a barmaid, is desperately raising money for the medical evacuation flight so he can get ‘the care he needs’ in the UK.
She said, ‘It would mean everything to him to come home, everything would be so much easier for everyone.
“He’ll be able to be around people he knows and get the care he needs.”
You can visit them GoFundMe page to donate.