Consett mum given emergency surgery in Turkey after shock diagnosis returns with £50k medical bill
A woman who had life-saving surgery for a brain tumour she was diagnosed with on a dental trip to Turkey has returned home with a £50,000 medical bill.
Lisa Robinson, from Consett, in County Durham, arrived back in the North East on Wednesday 13 July following an unexpected three weeks abroad.
Overwhelmed to be back on British soil, she told ITV News Tyne Tees: "Even the surgeon that completed the 13-hour surgery still thinks I'm a miracle.
"If I wasn't that close to death he wouldn't think I was a miracle. He gave us a chance in life and I'm so relieved he did."
The nightmare ordeal was felt back home in Consett by family who were told to expect the worse - and jumped on a plane to go to her bedside.
Ms Robinson, who had been experiencing headaches before the trip, was greeted by cheers from her family when she landed at Newcastle Airport but now faces a medical bill of £50,000.
Although she had medical insurance it has been deemed invalid.
AXA Partners said they knew Ms Robinson sought medical assistance for severe headaches prior to travelling and had also been prescribed medication.
The company said the policy she bought did not suit her needs, based on her ongoing symptoms and previous medical history.
An AXA Partners spokeswoman said: "Whilst we understand that this is a distressing situation, declaring previous medical history is extremely important when purchasing travel insurance, as not doing so can invalidate your policy.
"The initial question that Ms Robinson was asked at the start of the sales process, is there to determine the best policy cover based on any previous medical history.
"Had Ms Robinson declared her previous medical history, she would have been offered an alternative insurance policy that would have better suited her needs and covered her for medical assistance related to this condition whilst abroad."
Despite fears of how she was going to pay the medical bill she was grateful to her community back home who has raised £15,000 to help her get home from Turkey.
Ms Robinson said: “It has blown us away and it has carried us through. The number of text messages and support I cannot thank them enough.”
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