Emma Hickey, 42, is in serious condition after falling down hotel stairs while on holiday in Tenerife. The fall, which caused a brain bleed and neck fractures, happened after she became dizzy from an infection linked to mosquito bites. Her partner, Stephen Brougham, described the moment as “horrific,” saying Emma collapsed “head-first” and began convulsing.

Emma had been trying to push through the trip for their children despite feeling unwell. “She was in a terrible state,” Stephen said, adding the bites were “draining the life out of her.”

Doctors put her into an induced coma and warned there could be long-term effects. Meanwhile, the family is stuck in Tenerife. “We need to be over here by her side and we don’t want to go anywhere without her,” said Stephen, who also voiced concerns about whether their insurance would cover the high medical costs.

A GoFundMe page has been launched to support the family, with Stephen thanking their friends for the help. He urged others to take mosquito protection and travel insurance seriously: “We never considered how bad a bite could be.”