Family facing £40k bill to fly poorly Ian home

A NORTHUMBERLAND family is facing a bill of more than £40,000 to get a seriously ill man home from Cyprus to continue treatment in the UK.

- DANIEL HALL

Six days into his holiday, Ian Wright, 47, took ill when watching Newcastle's 1-0 defeat to Arsenal with friends he and wife Sarah had flown out to visit in Tala, near Paphos.

Sarah initially suspected Ian had food poisoning, but he was diagnosed with acute pancreatitis with necrosis soon after being admitted to a medical centre in Tala. Haulage worker Ian has been in Nicosia General Hospital since Friday, May 30, and has spent much of that time on dialysis, a ventilator and multi-organ support.

Ian's mum Monica Muckle, 67, flew out to the Mediterranean island and has been by his side since May 22. She is desperate to bring her son back to their hometown of Cramlington.