Sunderland man critically ill after balcony fall on Turkish holiday as family fundraise to pay £15,000 medical bills

The family of a much loved Sunderland man who is seriously ill in hospital after falling from a balcony while on a holiday in Turkey are urgently appealing for funds to pay for his treatment.
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Ryan Collier, 34, from Millfield, flew out to Turkish resort Marmaris last week for what should have been a relaxing break from his security job with partner Donna Noble.

But within days of arriving Ryan fell from a balcony of the four-storey Sun Apart Hotel where he was staying.

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He was taken to a private hospital in Turkey where he remains on life support after suffering a cardiac arrest.

Ryan was injured in a fall from his hotel in Marmaris in Turkey. Credit: Pixabay and handout (inset).Ryan was injured in a fall from his hotel in Marmaris in Turkey. Credit: Pixabay and handout (inset).
Ryan was injured in a fall from his hotel in Marmaris in Turkey. Credit: Pixabay and handout (inset).

His family say that Ryan has a fractured skull, swelling of the brain and a broken neck as well as multiple other injuries.

Parents Brian Collier and Elizabeth Collier have flown to Turkey to be by their son’s bedside..

On Friday, October 16, the family said Ryan, was taken off the life support machine and was breathing by himself whilst in a coma, but just hours later on Saturday, October 17, Ryan had the cardiac arrest and is back on a life support machine.

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As Ryan fights for his life, his family are facing a financial battle to pay for his treatment abroad as well as the cost of an air ambulance to fly him back to the UK – if they are able to bring him home.

The family say the medical bill has already reached £15,000 and have set up a Go Fund Me page in an effort to raise the vital funds.

In just five days, the page has raised £5,761 of its £10,000 goal from friends and family, along with generous members of the community. But they desperately need more.

Sister-in-law Bev Jones, 39, said: “Ryan is the friendliest, loveliest lad you could ever meet.

"He is always doing things for everybody.

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"He is really lovely and we are shocked that this has happened to him."

Bev, who is married to Ryan’s brother Craig Collier, said the pair received a call from his parents at around 1am on Tuesday, October 13, informing them that Ryan had had a serious accident.

But Bev says they are not yet aware of the circumstances around the fall.

The family have thrown themselves behind the fundraising campaign for Ryan, who is also brother to Darren and Lewis Collier.

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Bev continued: “It is so hard knowing how far away he is, with us in Sunderland and him being in Turkey.

"We have a big family and that is where most of the donations have come from, but we are trying to raise as much as possible because if Ryan is able to get off the ventilator to fly home then we don’t yet know how much that will be.

"We just want to thank everybody for the donations that have already come through from family and friends as well as members of the public that we don’t even know.

"We want to thank each and every one of them for helping us.”

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