Hi, my name is Samantha. Known as Sazzy on social media to many.

On the 5th of May, I had a seizure while on the island of Zante. I was taken to hospital, but the treatment there wasn’t stopping the seizure. I was placed into a coma, put on life support, and airlifted by military aircraft to mainland Greece, where I had a better chance of survival in a hospital that could offer more advanced care.

Doctors there told my partner that my chances of survival were 50/50.

After two days, the hospital tried to wake me from the coma, but I immediately went back into another seizure and had to be put back to sleep and sedated again. While in the coma, I experienced terrifying, vivid dreams that felt incredibly real—almost as if I was living them. To me, these were not just dreams, they were nightmares that trapped me, and I was living through them.

When I was eventually woken up, I was delirious. I had to be restrained to the hospital bed because I was repeatedly trying to get up, shouting that I needed to escape. Given the nature of the nightmare I had been in for 4 full days, this reaction was understandable, but being restrained only added to the trauma. I was also hallucinating due to the seizure medications and heavy sedation.

After three days of being awake from my coma, I started to become more aware of my surroundings and slowly began to understand what had happened. From there, I underwent various tests including a CT scan, neurology tests using electrodes, and an MRI scan. The results showed that there had been some brain damage caused by the prolonged seizure and the time I spent on life support.

While in hospital, we also found out that I am pregnant. However, due to the medications and treatments I received during this time and am currently taking, my partner and I have been advised not to continue with the pregnancy, as the drugs can cause abnormalities in a developing fetus. We are now awaiting treatment to end the pregnancy.

Although we are covered by the EHIC (formerly E111), this only covered basic hospital care and not the full cost—including scans, travel, and other expenses.

As a qualified nurse working for the NHS in England, this experience has opened my eyes to just how different healthcare systems can be. The hospital conditions were poor and the equipment was outdated, but I truly cannot fault the care I received. In fact, the quality of patient care from the staff was outstanding—perhaps even better than what we sometimes see in the NHS. The staff spent time with patients, listened to us, and truly made me feel heard and valued.

This experience has shown me just how big the differences in healthcare can be—something I’d love to speak more about another time. I owe this hospital my life. My children still have their mum because of the nurses and doctors who acted so quickly, made the right decisions, and provided compassionate care. I am alive today because of them.

No amount of money can compare to the value of life. What doesn’t kill you truly does make you stronger, and it has made me appreciate the little things so much more.

I’ve shared my story on TikTok and social media, where I’ve received an incredible outpouring of love and support. I’m happy to share more about my experience and have also been in contact with various news outlets.

I am now back in the UK and have received urgent referrals to neurologists and gynaecologists. I have been told I cannot go back to work nor can I drive. But I am reunited with my family and children which I almost lost.

Now, I’ve come here to ask for help—not only to raise funds to cover some of the costs we’ve incurred, but also because I want to give something back to the hospital that saved my life!