British tourist fighting for life in Greek hospital after contracting Legionnaires' disease
Donna Jobling was on holiday in Crete with her husband and friends when she fell ill.
A British tourist has been left fighting for her life after falling ill with Legionnaires' disease during a holiday to the Greek island of Crete.
Donna Jobling, from West Hull, is still in an induced coma at Venizeleio Hospital in the capital, Heraklion. She was enjoying an all-inclusive holiday with her husband Sidney and their friends, Paula and Nicholas Mason.
The 57-year-old became unwell on June 5, initially suffering from a chest infection, but her condition worsened just two days later. Tests confirmed she had Legionnaires' disease, caused by Legionella pneumophila.
The infection caused acute respiratory failure and pneumonia, according to her family. The disease is usually picked up via inhaling water droplets from contaminated air conditioning systems.
Her niece Claire, 42, flew out to see her after hearing how ill she was. She had to return home to obtain documents proving Donna is covered by insurance, but is travelling back as soon as she has them.
Claire told Hull Live: "We are all devastated and beside ourselves."
She added: "We were told it was touch and go whether she would survive. We are all praying for her. She is stable but under constant watch. We flew out there but had to come back because of work and family commitments. I'm still waiting for documents but will go back with them as soon as I have them."
She described her aunt as being "like a mother to us all." She recalled Crete was a popular destination for family holidays when she was younger: "We have happy memories of the island. It used to be our go-to holiday destination and we went as a whole family. It is beautiful, The weather is great and the food is fantastic."
Claire explained Donna has complex medical conditions, including epilepsy, but added she is being well cared for and staff brush her hair: "It is quite strict in the intensive care unit. You only get 30 minutes to visit. But she is well looked after."
Donna's friends Paula and Nicholas travelled back home on June 12. Paula, 52, explained how both of their husbands had organised the holiday as a surprise. She said: "It was lovely at the start of the holiday. We all walked everywhere.
"Then it came out from nowhere. She has a lot of health problems anyway. But she became seriously ill and the doctor said she had to be taken to hospital. and they have put her in an induced coma in the intensive care unit."
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The source of the Legionnaires' is still to be identified, however easyJet Holidays, the company the couples used to travel with, have re-accommodated other guests out of the hotel they had stayed in.
A spokesperson said: "We're so sorry to hear that Ms Jobling is unwell, and we're continuing to support her and her family in every way we can.
'As soon as we were made aware of reports of illness, we immediately took action and contacted customers who were already staying in the hotel, or due to travel in the next four weeks, to provide alternative hotel options.
"We've also been in touch with customers who recently returned home from this hotel, to inform them of necessary guidance. Our customers' safety and wellbeing is our top priority, and we'll continue to do all we can to support them.'
It is understood that the hotel is working alongside health authorities in Crete.
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Daily Mirror
2 hours ago
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Brit fights for life on Greek holiday - as air conditioning or hot tub to blame
Donna Jobling was on a surprise trip to Crete in Greece with her husband and two friends when she became seriously ill, with the 57-year-old rushed to hospital and put in an induced coma A Brit is fighting for her life in a Greek hospital after falling seriously ill on an all-inclusive holiday. Donna Jobling, of west Hull, is in intensive care at Venizeleio Hospital in Heraklion, Crete with doctors initially telling family it was "touch and go whether she would survive". The 57-year-old had been enjoying the Greek sunshine with husband Sidney and friends Paula and Nicolas Mason when she began to feel unwell on June 5. Donna suffered from a chest infection and two days later became seriously ill and she was rushed to hospital, where doctors put her in an induced coma. Tests confirmed she had Legionnaires' disease brought on by Legionella pneumophila, Donna's niece, Claire, told Hull Live. According to the NHS, Legionnaires' disease is a lung infection you can get from inhaling droplets of water from things like contaminated air conditioning systems or hot tubs. Donna's infection triggered acute respiratory failure and pneumonia, her family said, and they are now praying for her recovery. Claire, 42, said: "We are all devastated and beside ourselves." She added: "We were told it was touch and go whether she would survive. We are all praying for her. She is stable but under constant watch. We flew out there but had to come back because of work and family commitments. I'm still waiting for documents but will go back with them as soon as I have them." Husband Sidney, a former police officer, remains by Donna's bedside with Claire describing her auntie as "like a mother to us all". "It is quite strict in the intensive care unit," Claire admitted. "You only get 30 minutes to visit. But she is well looked after." Paula and Nicholas, who also went on the £1,500-per-couple holiday, returned to Hull on June 12 and said the illness came out of nowhere. "It was lovely at the start of the holiday. We all walked everywhere," Paula, 52, said. "Then it came out from nowhere. She has a lot of health problems anyway. But she became seriously ill and the doctor said she had to be taken to hospital and they have put her in an induced coma in the intensive care unit." The source of the Legionnaires' Disease has not yet been identified. Easyjet Holidays, with whom the couples travelled, are aware of the issue and have provided alternative hotel options to current and future guests. A spokesperson said: "We're so sorry to hear that Ms Jobling is unwell, and we're continuing to support her and her family in every way we can. As soon as we were made aware of reports of illness, we immediately took action and contacted customers who were already staying in the hotel, or due to travel in the next four weeks, to provide alternative hotel options. "We've also been in touch with customers who recently returned home from this hotel, to inform them of necessary guidance. Our customers' safety and wellbeing is our top priority, and we'll continue to do all we can to support them.'
Daily Record
4 hours ago
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Donna Jobling was on holiday in Crete with her husband and friends when she fell ill. A British tourist has been left fighting for her life after falling ill with Legionnaires' disease during a holiday to the Greek island of Crete. Donna Jobling, from West Hull, is still in an induced coma at Venizeleio Hospital in the capital, Heraklion. She was enjoying an all-inclusive holiday with her husband Sidney and their friends, Paula and Nicholas Mason. The 57-year-old became unwell on June 5, initially suffering from a chest infection, but her condition worsened just two days later. Tests confirmed she had Legionnaires' disease, caused by Legionella pneumophila. The infection caused acute respiratory failure and pneumonia, according to her family. The disease is usually picked up via inhaling water droplets from contaminated air conditioning systems. Her niece Claire, 42, flew out to see her after hearing how ill she was. She had to return home to obtain documents proving Donna is covered by insurance, but is travelling back as soon as she has them. Claire told Hull Live: "We are all devastated and beside ourselves." She added: "We were told it was touch and go whether she would survive. We are all praying for her. She is stable but under constant watch. We flew out there but had to come back because of work and family commitments. I'm still waiting for documents but will go back with them as soon as I have them." She described her aunt as being "like a mother to us all." She recalled Crete was a popular destination for family holidays when she was younger: "We have happy memories of the island. It used to be our go-to holiday destination and we went as a whole family. It is beautiful, The weather is great and the food is fantastic." Claire explained Donna has complex medical conditions, including epilepsy, but added she is being well cared for and staff brush her hair: "It is quite strict in the intensive care unit. You only get 30 minutes to visit. But she is well looked after." Donna's friends Paula and Nicholas travelled back home on June 12. Paula, 52, explained how both of their husbands had organised the holiday as a surprise. She said: "It was lovely at the start of the holiday. We all walked everywhere. "Then it came out from nowhere. She has a lot of health problems anyway. But she became seriously ill and the doctor said she had to be taken to hospital. and they have put her in an induced coma in the intensive care unit." Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community! Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today. You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland. No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team. All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile, select 'Join Community' and you're in! If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice. The source of the Legionnaires' is still to be identified, however easyJet Holidays, the company the couples used to travel with, have re-accommodated other guests out of the hotel they had stayed in. A spokesperson said: "We're so sorry to hear that Ms Jobling is unwell, and we're continuing to support her and her family in every way we can. 'As soon as we were made aware of reports of illness, we immediately took action and contacted customers who were already staying in the hotel, or due to travel in the next four weeks, to provide alternative hotel options. "We've also been in touch with customers who recently returned home from this hotel, to inform them of necessary guidance. Our customers' safety and wellbeing is our top priority, and we'll continue to do all we can to support them.' It is understood that the hotel is working alongside health authorities in Crete.
