Family raise £16,000 to bring home bride who broke spine after Corfu honeymoon balcony fall

In the space of barely 24 hours, donations have poured in by the minute after a fundraising website was set up, with some donations as much as £5,000.

The fundraising effort began after Carrie Anne Freeland and Michael Dudbridge’s Corfu honeymoon turned into tragedy when Carrie fell 30 feet from the newly married couple’s first floor room on Saturday night, fracturing her spine in three places.

They are now awaiting medical clearance and assessments on Carrie's condition before being in a position to fly her back.

The couple were due to fly home on Monday before the accident.

Their last minute deal was paid for with money given by guests at their wedding on July 31, however they did not take out travel insurance.

Michael has now gone from having just €50 (£41) left to raising £16,351 which will pay for Carrie, of Swiftsden Way, Downham, to be flown back lying down in a plane with stabilisers.

'Light at the end of the tunnel'

Carrie's best friend Zoe Bayntun, 27, said: "Michael's spirits have been lifted by this.

"He can't believe how quickly the money has been raised.

"I think they can see light at the end of the tunnel now.

"Hopefully they can get home sooner rather than later."

The fundraising website was set up with the help of air ambulance repatriation company Mediaviation.

Carrie, a secretary at Forster Park Primary School in Lewisham, is currently flat on her back awaiting treatment in hospital, where she is unable to eat and can only move her hands and feet.

Michael, of Burnt Ash Lane, Lee, has been sat by his wife’s side since the accident with their luggage under her bed.

The couple of 10 years, who planned to move in together after their honeymoon, flew to Greece believing their European Health Insurance Card, formerly known as the E111 form, would cover them in the event of an accident.

'I looked out and she wasn't there'

On Tuesday Michael spoke to News Shopper from his wife’s bedside about the night of the accident.

He said: “We went out to have something to eat and came back to the hotel room.

“I was lying on the bed and my wife went outside to get some fresh air.

“Next thing I heard was a big thud, I looked out and she was not there.

"She was on the grass so I ran down, she tried to get up but I told her not to move.”

Michael, whose 46-year-old father died in June from pneumonia, added: “I’ve been sitting here since Saturday waiting to find out what’s going on.

“She can’t sit up, she can move her hands and feet but she has to stay completely flat.

“She can’t really talk because of the impact of the accident and she can’t eat, they have to feed her water.”

Waiting for clearance to fly home

Operations manager for Mediaviation Joanna Sukiennik said: "We have received the latest medical notes which are in Greek.

"We are waiting for them to be translated in order to assess Carrie's condition.

"We want to make sure that she is fit to be moved around.

"We will have to have confirmation from our medical team that Carrie is fit to fly.

"In the meantime, we will get the Fit-to-Fly certificate from the Greek doctors.

"We will also organise the land ambulance transfers at both ends for Carrie and Michael and admission to the hospital in the UK to make sure that the entire process is as smooth as possible."

Click here to make a donation to help fly Carrie home.

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