Louis flies home for intensive care and recovery following an accident in Greece
- 16 hours ago
- 5 min read
At 17 years old, Louis was an outgoing, talented young man with a passion for music and boxing. He worked as a bartender and was enjoying his first holiday abroad without his family when his life changed in an instant.
Just two days into a trip to Zakynthos, Greece, Louis was involved in a devastating quad bike accident. The helmet he was wearing saved his life, but he suffered a brain haemorrhage and 16 skull fractures. Due to the severity of his injuries, he was airlifted to Attikon Hospital in Athens, where he underwent emergency surgery.
Back home, Louis's family had no idea how critically injured he was. In fact, it was only the evening before that Louis’ mum, Olinda, had spoken to him and had told him to have fun but to take care and be safe.
His mum, Olinda, learned of what had happened to Louis when one of Louis's old friends called her out of the blue. The news was impossible to comprehend. Reflecting on that moment, Olinda says:
“I just couldn’t speak. I couldn’t do anything. I’m usually the one that does everything, but I was totally helpless. I was walking past my good friend Olivia’s shop when I heard the news, and I fell to my knees”.
As the family scrambled for information, they faced a maze of practical challenges. Olivia’s husband, James, stepped in to help.
He recalls:
“Never in my life had I seen another human [Olinda] in so much pain, work to be done. Between us, we contacted the British Embassy in Greece and London; we worked on finding the elusive travel insurance details, passed on EHIC details, tried getting access to Louis’s email accounts and his phone, just to try and find something that would help. His friends were with him in Zante at the hospital; the pressure to get a resolution was incredible.”
Olinda flew to Athens to be with her son. Nothing could have prepared her for what she found.
Louis was in an induced coma with a Glasgow Coma Scale score of just 6 out of 15, indicating a severe brain injury. He required breathing support and remained deeply unconscious.
Olinda remembers:
“I just thought he was going to die… It’s horrific because it’s like an extension of you and you feel it physically… I just wanted to hold his hand and whisper in his ear, but they wouldn’t let me do any of that.”
Due to hospital restrictions, Olinda could only visit Louis three times a week for 15 minutes at a time, and was unable to hug or kiss him. Meanwhile, her younger son, Max, was also in hospital in the UK. Olinda found the fact that she wasn’t able to be by Louis’s side in Athens incredibly hard, and she found the separation from her son Max, who also needed her back in the UK equally as hard. She was living a mother’s worst nightmare.
As James describes it:
“Olinda was torn between the two. She was just a shell of a woman.”
It quickly became clear that Louis needed to be brought home, not only for his recovery but for the wellbeing of the whole family.
Determined to find a way, the family explored every option available. Olinda launched a fundraising appeal, raising more than £36,000 towards Louis's medical expenses. During their search for help, they discovered Lia's Wings, the only UK air ambulance charity that delivers life-saving services both in the UK and internationally.
From that moment, the charity became a vital source of support.
Lia's Wings guided the family through an unfamiliar and constantly changing situation, coordinating the complex arrangements needed to bring Louis safely back to the UK. The charity also contributed towards the cost of a specialist air ambulance transfer, making it possible for Louis to continue his recovery closer to family and friends.
James remembers the moment things finally began to move forward:
“I got a message from Lia’s Wings on WhatsApp… that was on Monday 22nd June; Louis landed at Leeds Bradford Airport on Monday 29th June.”
He says:
“Lia’s Wings is the most incredible organisation. They held our hand, guided us through the most unfamiliar ground at every turn. As each day went on, the uncertainty slowly subsided… We were constantly updated with conversations happening around us with the hospital and the UNICAIR medical team in Germany who would bring Louis home. Things were slowly dropping into place. The only way I can describe the process is that it’s like trying to hit a moving target whilst on a trampoline. There are so many variables that all must be in line before things can happen, but a bed at Leeds General was confirmed, flights confirmed, medical team confirmed, ground ambulance confirmed. It was go time; Lia’s Wings had done it. We couldn’t believe Louis was coming home, and he did.”
Lia's Wings coordinated Louis's repatriation and worked with Spark Medical and UNICAIR to fly him from Athens to Leeds Bradford Airport. Olinda travelled alongside him.
In a moment she found comforting, she discovered the captain was called Stephen, Louis's middle name, while the co-pilot was called Max, the same name as her younger son. She says:
“They were so kind, they were so friendly, pilots helping me with my bags. The doctor and nurse were also amazing. They never let Louis out of their sight. Their capacity for care is just incredible.”
On arrival in the UK, the Spark Medical team transported Louis from the airport to Leeds General Infirmary, ensuring a seamless handover of care.
James recalls: “The two UNICAIR guys and Spark Medical team did not leave the hospital until the Leeds hospital team were fully briefed and everything handed over. There were handshakes, hugs and thank-yous and then they were gone, off into the night to do what they do and prepare for the next mission.”
For the family, being back on home soil brought a sense of hope for the first time. Olinda says:
“When I got to the Intensive Care Unit in Leeds, I whispered to him and held his hand and he squeezed it and I knew he was here. He was back and knew it was me. I knew then that his brain was working and could be repaired.”
Today, Louis is out of his induced coma and no longer in the Neuro Intensive Care Unit. He is talking, calling friends and even playing guitar in his hospital room. There is still a lot of hard work to come in his recovery journey, but the family remain positive. Like any 17-year-old, Louis is focused on getting home and back to the things he loves, including his Xbox!
Looking back, James is clear about the impact Lia's Wings had:
“Without the kind support, help and determination that Lia’s Wings gave, we wouldn’t be where we are now. We live in a world of hate and uncertainty, and it has been so very enriching to be reminded that there are true angels amongst us.”
For Louis and his family, getting home made all the difference. Thanks to Lia's Wings and the generosity of our supporters, he will be able to continue his recovery at home, surrounded by his family.
