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A British mother is in a critical condition after a tragic fall during her family holiday in Spain. Emma Hickey, along with her partner Stephen Brougham and their two children, were enjoying a summer break in Costa Adeje, Tenerife, when disaster struck on June 23.

After waking up with severe mosquito bites and seeking medical aid, the 42 year old carer endured days of feeling unwell but persevered for her family's enjoyment. However, a dizzy spell led to her plummeting down the hotel stairs, resulting in horrific injuries witnessed by her partner Stephen.

The 44 year old Dublin native described the scene of Emma convulsing as 'horrific', as she was promptly taken to hospital. Scans uncovered a brain haemorrhage and fractures in her neck, necessitating an induced coma. A friend has since initiated a GoFundMe campaign to assist Stephen, a plasterer, as he and his children face an uncertain wait in Tenerife for Emma's recovery. Facing potential protracted treatment and ambiguous travel insurance cover, a despondent Stephen stated: "We came away for a lovely family holiday and it's been a living nightmare. She woke up with a really bad case of mosquito bites so we went to the local doctor and the doctors didn't know what it was so they sent her to hospital.", reports Bristol Live.

"The doctor there said they'd never seen a case of this mosquito bite in Spain before. She got a prescription and sent her away. For the next few days she wasn't feeling well but was soldiering through the holiday for the sake of the kids trying to do what she could but she wasn't herself. On the 23rd she woke up and felt really bad. She said 'I'll go to sleep and see how I feel later on'. She went for a sleep and I brought the kids out for lunch.

"She was up having a good sleep and she looked and seemed a lot better. She said she wouldn't go to the hospital but would walk out to a pharmacy and see what they thought. We walked out the back entrance of the hotel as there's a shop and a pharmacy there. Street level is probably about four or five storeys up.

"She was feeling a bit dizzy and she collapsed and fell from the second last step of the upper staircase down below onto the other set of stairs head-first without raising her arm to protect herself. She passed out on the steps and started convulsing - she was in a terrible state. It's been horrific because I actually witnessed the fall and how bad the fall was. That's a mental scar that I'll never forget. Words can't describe how bad it is."

Stephen urgently summoned an ambulance, which whisked his partner to the hospital where a CT scan disclosed she had endured a brain haemorrhage and required surgery. Medics identified fractures in her neck, after which she was placed into an induced coma and will stay in intensive care until she regains consciousness.

Stephen recounted: "They did an operation and there were blood clots on the brain that had been putting some pressure on the brain. They're not saying what impact the pressure on the brain of the blood clot will have after she comes round. There could be secondary issues there so in the meantime she's just been on the machine."

As a self-employed individual, Stephen is now seeking alternative lodgings for himself and children Sophie Hickey, 13, and Bobby Hickey, 7, as they await Emma's recovery. He remains hopeful that their travel insurance will contribute towards the escalating medical expenses upon examination of her medical history.

Stephen explained: "We have got health insurance but at the moment they're making us jump a few hoops just before they commit to whether they're covering us or not. We know that hospital is $1,400 a day so we're going to have a significant medical bill. The hotel we're staying in at the moment is an expensive hotel. Then just feeding the kids and keeping them occupied. I'm not working now because I'm over here. The support has been overwhelming and incredible. We're lucky to have friends and family like that.

"[The fundraiser] is very important because it's going to be a long process. We don't know how long yet. It could be a very long time that we're over here with her until she's in a position to fly home.

"We need to be over here by her side and we don't want to go anywhere without her." He's now urging others to secure travel insurance and to recognise the potential hazards posed by insects when abroad.

Stephen remarked: "It's not something we ever considered - how bad a bite could be. It's amazing how much pain a little tiny insect can have on you. We wouldn't have considered [repellent]. We weren't aware of the mosquito bites.

"We go away all the time and it's not something to be worried about. You definitely need to be aware what sort of effect these insects can have on you. It's important to have travel insurance. The hospital won't do much if you haven't got it. Try to get a good policy."