Sarah Jones says hospital doctors in Faro confirmed Theo could travel home on a medical flight
By David Grundy
BBC Wales news
The mum of a two-year-old boy who ended up in hospital while on holiday in Portugal has said she is “frustrated” about hold-ups over flying him home.
Sarah Jones said an Axa Partners agent told her she “had no authority” to get updates on Theo’s case without his permission for her to talk for him.
Theo became unwell with a virus began attacking his brain on 13 September and remains in a Portuguese hospital.
Axa Partners previously told BBC Wales it was preparing for his repatriation.
His parents were initially told Theo had a stomach flu but a scan revealed he had a problem with his cerebellum, a part of the brain.
Sarah, from Maesteg, Bridgend county, said the family was told on Friday that repatriation would take place “within 48 hours, but Saturday morning, we were told it’s likely to be Monday”.
“By yesterday afternoon, this had been pushed back to Wednesday and this morning [Sunday], they have no update to give me in terms of confirmed itinerary,” she told BBC Wales.
Sarah said she had “zero confidence” that a flight would be arranged for Wednesday and that she “anticipates further delays”.
Theo Jones of Maesteg, Bridgend county, is in hospital after falling ill with a virus
Ms Jones said hospital doctors in Faro had confirmed Theo could travel home on a medical flight and she had also been in contact with Cardiff’s University Hospital Wales, which would accept the transfer.
“It’s just shambolic,” said Sarah.
She said an Axa agent told her on Saturday night that they would not be able to speak to her about her son’s case and would need him to give verbal permission to speak to her.
“I went through the security details and then they said ‘you don’t have authority to speak on this account. We are going to need the patient to call in and give you authority to speak on their behalf’.
“And I said ‘so, let me just double check what you’re saying. You want me to get my two-year-old, who has lost the ability to speak, to just pop a call in and and give authorisation for his mother to chat’?”
She said the agent apologised and read their notes before continuing the conversation with her.
Image source, Family Photo
Theo was on holiday with his parents and baby sister when he became seriously unwell
However, Theo parents still have not been told whether Axa has secured a specialist paediatric team for the flight back to the UK.
“He can’t get on a plane without a paediatric team,” she said.
“We keep getting told they’re not readily available but I can’t see how he will be the only child that ever needed a repatriation.”
