Stranded visitor Michael Doyle, 29, had six operations during his trip to Bulgaria but couldn’t raise enough money to get back to Britain

A BRITISH tourist who suffered blood poisoning while on holiday has died after not being able to raise enough money to return home to the UK.

Michael Doyle, 29, was visiting the eastern European country when he started suffering from unbearable stomach pains three weeks ago.

Bulgarian doctors operated on him six times in an attempt to save his life but it was thought he needed to return to Britain if he was going to survive the illness.

He tried to arrange a medical flight back to the UK through his travel insurers but they refused to pay the cost, approximately £20,000, because his policy did not cover him.

His brother Marcus set up a fundraising page to help pay for the medical flight but his organs failed and he died yesterday of septicaemia.

Michael’s kidneys failed following a dialysis session but his 51-year-old mum Mandy did manage to fly out and see her son before he passed away.

His friend Vince Conti, 47, who has been with him since he fell ill three weeks ago, said: “His organs gave up.

“I believed he would be alright. Up until two days ago he was settled, he was in a critical condition and kept going hot and cold but he was settled and talking and had colour in his cheeks.

“But last night we got to a call to come up and we knew he wasn’t good. When we saw him as we went in – we knew.

“It was like a concrete block had been thrown in my face.

“He had dialysis last night and his kidneys just shut down. They spent 35 minutes trying to bring him back.

“His mum and dad are completely devastated. Even the doctor was crying.”

Shop worker Michael, of Penhill, Swindon, flew out to the Sunny Beach resort with two friends on 24th July.

But he was hospitalised just four days into the break with unbearable stomach pains.

Mandy did not have the money to fly out straight away and only managed to get to his bedside last Wednesday after taking out a £390 loan.

Speaking before his death Mandy said she feared he would die if he was not flown back to the UK.

She said: “I felt helpless because I wasn’t there [to begin with].

“I saw him for the first time on Wednesday, he was breathless and in and out of sleep.

“I don’t think his body can take much more, I worry that if he doesn’t get flown home he will not pull through.

“The insurers are refusing to pay and won’t talk to us, and medical flights cost between £22,000 and £40,000.”

Vince, a property developer from Gorse Hill in Swindon, said: “Michael’s stomach was swelling so we just thought he had food poisoning.

“One minute we were at the walk-in centre, the next we were speeding down the motorway and Michael was off to theatre.

“I took him into the hospital and stayed by his side and was always checking the monitors and speaking to him. It’s been a three week roller coaster.

“He lived life to the full. He knew right from wrong and would do anything for anyone.

“He was a good lad and a credit to his mum and dad.”

The £3,200 raised on the JustGiving page so far will now be used to repatriate Michael’s body.

Source: Source