A British girl with cerebral palsy has tragically died while on a family holiday in Crete.
The 13-year-old was with her parents in the village of Analipsi, Hersonissos, when she is believed to have become unwell. She was reportedly rushed to hospital in nearby Heraklion, where she was put in the children's ICU but sadly died this morning.
The teenager's mother reportedly said that she had beenborn with cerebral palsy and local media claimed that her health had rapidly deteriorated before her death.
Cerebral palsy is a group of permanent movement disorders that appear in early childhood. It is caused by damage to the developing brain, typically before or during birth, or shortly after birth.
The condition affects muscle coordination, movement, and posture. The severity and symptoms of cerebral palsy can vary widely among individuals, and they may change over time. The prognosis for individuals with cerebral palsy varies widely. Early diagnosis and treatment are crucial for optimizing outcomes and enhancing the individual's abilities and independence.
It comes just two weeks after a British tourist drowned in Lake Como in front of his 19-year-old girlfriend. Sam Rigby, 22, from Liverpool, was on a rented boat in the popular Italian lake when he died near Tremezzina on July 17. He and his partner, Olivia Greenhall, had been staying at a hotel in Menaggio about four miles away.
The pair were left stranded in the middle of the usually tranquil lake after their boat was hit by sudden high winds, and had attempted to swim back to shore when he got into difficulty. Olivia was saved by a passing cruiser and taken back to shore - but explained to her rescuers that her boyfriend was missing and had been in the water with her, according to local newspaper Corriere della Sera.
An urgent search was launched in response to the reports on Wednesday, involving two helicopters and one with a team of divers on board. Mr Rigby was found floating in the water "without any signs of life" at 7pm the same day. He was recovered by two vessels, one from the Coast Guard and one from the fire brigade, who took him back to port.
A local police source told The Telegraph: “They appear to have dived into the water but their boat was carried away and they were unable to get back to it. Unfortunately, many tourists are unaware of the dangers on Lake Como, you have to be very careful.” The huge lake has seen a number of fatalities in recent years, including Swiss football player Florijana Ismaili, whose body was found 200 metres (656ft) beneath the surface after he disappeared in the water.
Tributes have been paid to Sam Rigby by friends and members of his local community. One wrote on Facebook: "Rest in Peace Sam lad. This one's hit a bit close to home. Wow. Shell shocked." Another said: "Gone way too soon."
2024-07-31T11:00:39Z dg43tfdfdgfd