Plans to fly paramedics over fall through

The Malta Red Cross yesterday had to withdraw an offer to fly paramedics to Cambodia and bring back the young woman who was injured in a motorcycle accident there because it could not make the necessary arrangements.

Just a few hours after offering the help, the humanitarian organisation said it had to withdraw its pledge because it could not contact its Cambodian counterpart.

The story of 25-year-old Lisa Gatt made headlines when her sister Lia started a campaign on the popular social-networking site Facebook to raise funds to help bring her sister home.

On April 7, the young woman, a call centre worker from Marsascala, was riding pillion on a motorcycle when the accident happened.

Unconscious, the young woman was taken to a nearby clinic where she woke up some hours later in extreme pain with a broken femur (thigh bone).

The original plan was for their father to travel to the remote clinic in Cambodia were she is being treated and bring her back to Malta but the trip was going to cost some €8,000. The family want to bring Lisa back because the medical equipment and facilities available in the village clinic are very limited.

During an operation on her broken thigh bone, she apparently felt "every pull and tug on her leg and could feel them drilling and banging on her bone". She tried to call out to tell the doctors that she was still awake but was unable to make a sound, her distraught sister Lia said.

Lisa, who travelled without insurance, has ended up with a hefty medical bill. Her first operation cost €2,000, a sum her family had to borrow and wire over to Cambodia, but the medical expenses have continued to grow.

By yesterday more than €2,500 were raised. In the spirit of solidarity the Malta Red Cross launched an appeal for the collection of funds to assist in the repatriation and medical expenses. It also pledged to bring Lisa back themselves but later released another statement saying that without the cooperation of the Cambodia Red Cross it would not be in a position to undertake the repatriation operation safely.

"The Red Cross will still be helping us. We're trying to find a way to bring Lisa back anyway but it's difficult because of all the airline guidelines. We have to make sure she will be able to fly in her condition. Nothing is set in stone as yet," Lia said yesterday.

"Today she sounded better. She's still in pain, but her condition is improving. She just really wants to get home though."

The family is also in touch with the Community Chest Fund to see whether it could also donate a sum. So far there have been more than 100 donors to the cause but Lia is determined to continue campaigning to bring her beloved sister home.

She has promised that, if any additional funds are raised, she would set up a foundation in her sister's name with the help of the Red Cross, to go towards medical expenses that other families may come to need if this ever happened again.

Donations can be made directly to the Malta Red Cross offices at 104, St Ursula Street, Valletta, at Room 6, University of Malta, Xewkija, or in Bank of Valletta account number 10206374012.