‘We went on holiday - and returned with our lives in pieces’
THE husband of a woman who suffered life-changing injury in a ten-foot fall in a Tenerife hotel has described how their lives were left ‘in pieces’ by the tragedy.
Wendy Brown, 57, suffered horrific brain and spine injuries plunging from an unguarded staircase onto concrete.
She was airlifted to hospital after the January 2018 incident and placed in an induced coma in a hospital on the island. She later had brain and spinal surgery.
Now, following legal discussions, an agreement regarding liability has been reached between travel firm TUI and the family’s legal team, it is understood.
Wendy’s husband Gary, 56, hopes that this will allow Wendy, 57, from Bollington, Macclesfield, to get the specialist rehabilitation she needs.
Gary said: “We had only been married six months when we went on holiday to Tenerife, and we returned home with our lives in pieces.
“All we want is for Wendy to receive the best possible care she can to make the most of life. It’s such a relief that this agreement has been reached and we can now look at getting Wendy the support she needs.”
Mother-of-two Wendy was just three days into her holiday with Gary when tragedy struck at the La Palma and Teneguia Princess Hotel in January 2018.
The couple remained in Tenerife while Wendy underwent brain surgery and also had metalwork fitted to stabilise her spine, before she was taken by air ambulance back to the UK.
She spent time at Salford Royal Hospital and a rehabilitation centre. Her injuries mean she has had to give up her job as an administrator.
An agreement has now been approved by the High Court, paving the way for Wendy to access funds which will support her recovery.
Recalling the tragedy, Gary said: “We were walking back to the hotel room and Wendy was slightly behind me when she fell.
“As there was no wall or railings, she plummeted onto the concrete below. She was unconscious and I performed CPR before she was taken to La Palma Hospital and placed in an induced coma.
“To see her in such a condition was just awful.”
Cheryl Palmer-Hughes, the specialist international serious injury lawyers at Irwin Mitchell representing Wendy and Gary, said after the hearing: “What was meant to be an enjoyable holiday turned into a complete nightmare, and while nothing can change what happened, we are pleased to have successfully reached this agreement.
“It’s also vital that tour operators learn lessons from what happened to Wendy to improve safety for tourists.
A spokesperson for TUI said: “We remain very sorry to hear of Ms Brown’s experience on her holiday in Tenerife. As this is now an ongoing legal matter, it would be inappropriate for us to comment.”