Bradley Belhomme, a 20-year-old from Salford, remains in a coma in an Athens hospital after a horrific quad bike crash during a lads' holiday in Zante, Greece. The collision with a coach occurred on Friday, July 3, leaving him with catastrophic head injuries.
Details of the Incident
Bradley had flown to Zante with a group of friends on Thursday, July 2. The group rented quad bikes to explore the island. While riding with another friend, who was also hospitalized, Bradley crashed into a coach. He was initially treated in a Zante hospital before being transferred to a hospital in Attica, Athens, for specialist care.
Family's Ordeal
Bradley's mother, Leanne Rabbetts, described the harrowing experience. She said: 'He went on the holiday on Thursday and everything was fine. I spoke to him when he arrived, but then on the Friday afternoon I got the call saying there had been a crash. I was thinking "what the hell happened?" I had to ring the hospital in Zante at the time, but they couldn't give me much information. Then I got another call that night saying he was being moved to Athens because of the condition he was in. He has serious head trauma so he's getting better care there. I flew out on Sunday as soon as I could and have been here every day. We can only spend half an hour with him. The doctors tried to bring him out of a coma yesterday but he wasn't responding. Then they tried again to wake him up today [Monday] and he had two fits. They don't know if it's a bleed on the brain, so he has to have an MRI scan to see what has happened and the damage to his brain, but he isn't responding at all at the moment.'
Insurance and Support
Leanne believes Bradley had travel insurance but cannot confirm details as they lack access to his phone. The family has contacted the British Embassy for support. Bradley's uncle, Adam, said: 'Because of the head trauma, we don't even know when he will be able to come home or the situation. We can't do anything. We are just waiting for the scan and trying to make sure everything is covered at the moment, because if the insurance is invalid it's a big bill. At the moment the main thing is Bradley and making sure he is okay and eventually getting him up and home.'
Community Fundraising
Friends and the local community have organized fundraising events and walks to help cover hospital bills. Adam added: 'The local community and friends have all donated and have been brilliant. Bradley is a loveable lad who has gone away to have a lads' holiday and enjoy himself. He's a hardworking boy and unfortunately, being young, you often make the wrong choices. It's all questions and no answers at the moment. And out here there's a huge language barrier. He's in intensive care and we have to wear full PPE to see him for just half an hour. We are like a fish out of water.'
Next Steps
The family awaits an MRI scan to determine the extent of brain damage. Bradley remains in intensive care, unresponsive. Donations can be made to the GoFundMe page set up to support his medical expenses.
