Please Donate to help the Shields family

Hi,

I don't like asking, its not our way, but we find ourselves in an incredibly unexpected situation where we are facing massive expenses, and any help would be appreciated.

Alex was attacked in Ayia Napa on the first night of his Holiday. When a helmet fell off of a passing motorbike, Alex returned the helmet to the rider, which somehow resulted in him being punched by the rider, causing him to fall incredibly hard onto the concrete below him.

The impact has caused a lot of damage. A multitude of skull fractures, fractured jaw, fluid leaking from ear, loss of hearing in one ear and a number of brain heamatomas.

Whilst he's stable and slowly recovering, he is still in a lot of pain.

We managed to get a flight the second we heard and have a hire car to visit the hospital and pick things up. Costs are mounting up quickly and to be honest, whilst I can't afford it, I need to be here for my son. He's only 18 and can't fathom why it had to be him. He desperately wants to come home, he can't.

They won't let him fly for 2- 6 weeks. We are both staying until he leaves hospital and I will stay with him further, until he can fly. The hospital situation is a fluid one, where he may be in hospital for a few days or a few weeks. He's now smiling and able to uphold decent conversations, but his head and brain have a lot of healing to do and he is sleeping a lot.

Flights and car alone were over £1000 and I don't know how long i need the car yet or when we're flying home.

Alex has medical insurance but it doesn't cover Louise or me.

Anyone who knows Alex, knows he's a lovely lad, who really doesn't deserve this.

We expect this to cost us £5000 - £10,000, depends on how long we need to stay.

I doubt we'll get over what we need, but if we do, I will find a Nuero research to donate it to.

Gary and Louise