CHLOE Mackie had dreamed of swimming with dolphins ever since she was a little girl.
And so, when a bargain trip costing to Turkey advertising the excursion came up, she booked it immediately.
Along with her mum and two sons they jetted off to the holiday destination – but then disaster struck.
After a horrific accident the 37-year-old has been left with life-changing injuries and she may never walk properly again, after a speeding motorbike smashed into her and her nine-year-old son.
“I was catapulted into the air and landed with a thump on the ground,” the former youth engagement worker, from Lancashire , says.
“My legs splayed like a pair of scissors as agonising pain shot through me.
“I tried to frantically move myself to see if anybody else had been hit – but I couldn’t stand.
“As I looked on the road, I was horrified as I saw my little boy lying face down, not moving.
“I dragged my body over the tarmac and held him in my arms as blood trickled down his face.
“When he started moving and asked for me, I was relieved.
“But then I realised my legs had gone entirely numb – and the reality set in.”
Chloe had arrived at the venue for her dolphin swimming excursion too early and decided to take her two sons, along with her mum, to a nearby steakhouse across the road to kill some time.
Although she checked both directions, and waited until the lights turned red, a speeding motorbike wasn’t able to slow down in time.
The pair were swiftly taken to hospital, where X-rays confirmed she had broken two bones in her lower leg and damaged the joint behind her knee.
Her son, however, left with only a few cuts and grazes.
Medics advised Chloe she’d need an emergency operation, though without insurance, this would cost £1,200 on top of the £3,000 she had already paid for the holiday.
She says: “My heart sank.
“I needed surgery urgently because the pain was excruciating.
“I’d switched banks a while earlier and had mistakenly assumed the package, which included health cover, would transfer over.
“Luckily, I was able to raise the money through my dad, grandma, sister and colleagues.
“And so the operation went ahead.”
Chloe tried to focus on recovering before they were due to fly home; but her nightmare was far from over.
Doctors allegedly told her she wouldn’t be allowed unless she had a “Fit to Fly” document.
But it would cost £9,000.
The mum says: “I felt helpless.
“I went into a state of panic as I truly didn’t know where I would get that money from in such a short amount of time.
“After a frantic moment, I phoned my dad who said he would book a solicitor appointment and ask to take his inheritance early from my grandma’s will.
“He also used some of his hard-earned savings.
“It made me feel so guilty, as that money wasn’t mine – it was for his future.”
With no other choice Chloe was forced to accept the money.
Sadly, due to complications with the surgery.
The screws weren’t inserted properly when stabilising her leg and it meant that she wasn’t able to bend her knee weeks later.
She currently isn’t able to walk properly relying on a brace and crutches and it’s likely she will never be able to again.
In another blow, the mum-of-two found out the biker wasn’t going to be prosecuted for his actions in October 2023.
BRITS MISSING OUT ON FREE TRAVEL CARDS
MILLIONS of holidaymakers are missing out on free travel cards that could save them thousands of pounds if they become unwell abroad.
Global Health Insurance Cards (GHIC) let you access state healthcare in the European Economic Area and several other countries, on the same basis as a resident of that country.
The free GHIC cards replaced European Health Insurance Cards (EHIC) after Brexit .
But just 4.6million people applied for a card last year, according to exclusive figures obtained through a Freedom of Information request by Compare the Market.
This is 1.1million less than in 2023, when 5.7million cards were issued.
But 86.2million people travelled abroad in 2023 alone, which means millions of people are travelling without a GHIC.
During this time the NHS spent more than £300million on medical treatment abroad for UK citizens with EHICs or GHICs.
In Spain, a trip to A&E can cost around €200 without a GHIC, with extra fees for blood tests, overnight stays and consultations, while a broken bone could cost thousands.
Although the GHIC card provides help with necessary medical care, it does not offer the same medical protection as travel insurance.
You also cannot use a GHIC to pay for private treatment, evacuation such as mountain rescues or repatriation costs if you need to be flown back to the UK.
And some insurers will not pay for a medical claim unless you have a GHIC so it’s important that you register for one now to avoid invalidating your insurance.
Chloe, who has since had another op to replace the screws, adds: “I need to have another operation to regain more movement; but I’m so tired.
“I won’t ever be able to do the things I love, such as horse-riding.
“And I’ve had to give up my job, as my leg constantly swells causing me so much pain.
“It also means my dream of swimming with dolphins will never come true.
“Whenever we go out now, I tense at busy roads and sometimes can’t bring myself to cross.
“Also the money I borrowed from my dad has caused a huge strain on our relationship, as it’s left him struggling each month.
“I’m forever in debt to him.
“It should have been a memorable, happy holiday.
“But instead, it was a nightmare come true.
“We will never go to Turkey again.”
