A dream family holiday to Greece has turned into a harrowing ordeal for a British man who now faces a staggering £14,000 medical bill and is stranded abroad without the means to return home. Alan Kirby, 67, from Somerset, had been enjoying a sunshine getaway in Tsilivi, Zante with his partner Helen Whitemore, 62, his stepdaughter Liza, and her three children, when tragedy struck just three days into the trip on July 5.
What began as a relaxing dinner turned into panic when Alan suddenly appeared “grey and dreadful,” according to family. He returned to the hotel, but by morning was struggling to breathe. Initial medical checks led doctors to advise him to return to the UK for a biopsy on a mass found in his right lung, which they feared could be cancerous.
However, Alan’s condition rapidly deteriorated before he could board a flight.
He was placed on a ventilator, deemed unfit for commercial travel, and airlifted to a private hospital in Athens.
Then came the devastating blow as Alan’s travel insurance provider declared his policy invalid after reviewing medical records and discovering he had previously been informed of the mass, something his UK doctors had assured him was benign fatty tissue and “nothing to worry about.”
Because this was not disclosed to the insurer, it was classified as a pre-existing condition, nullifying the policy.
The family is now facing a £14,000 bill for the five days of private care Alan received before being moved to a public hospital under the Global Health Insurance Card.
The £45,000 cost of a specialist medical air ambulance back to the UK is also not covered.
“We know we made the mistake, that’s the problem,” said Liza, 40. “He was fine before the holiday. He was working the day before we flew out.”
Liza says that although Helen checked with her bank about travel insurance, no one advised them that Alan’s past diagnosis would need to be declared.
“They said, ‘just go on holiday, you don’t need to do anything’,” she said. “But they didn’t know about the mass.”
Alan remains in Athens General Hospital, breathing with the help of a ventilator. His loved ones have returned to the UK and are now desperately trying to raise funds for his medical repatriation.
“We just want him home,” Liza pleaded. “We’re doing everything we can, but it’s overwhelming.”
In a statement, Allianz said: “Our sympathies are with Mr Kirby and his family during his recovery.
“In common with other travel insurers, we ask customers to adhere to policy terms, including disclosure of any pre-existing medical conditions for anyone covered under the policy.
“Unfortunately, a pre-existing medical condition was not disclosed to us, so we are declining the claim. We acted in good faith and covered the costs of Mr Kirby until the pre-existing medical condition was established.”
A fundraiser has been set up to help cover the costs of Alan’s return to the UK via air ambulance.