Doreen Blackburn, the great-grandmother stranded in Portugal after two devastating strokes, is finally back in the UK to the love of her family, thanks to a heart-warming appeal that went Europe-wide and raised the €12,000 needed to fly her home.
Her ‘happy-ending’ story is proof that every now and then the power of the media can be used to radically transform lives for the better. Doreen’s overjoyed family said: “The power of the media has enabled us to achieve this fantastic result and we honestly can’t thank everyone enough.”
Indeed, only a few weeks ago, things looked bleak. Doreen was about to be discharged from a rehabilitation centre in Tavira, paralysed and unable to speak, with no funds to help her return home. Her extended family in Lancashire were also unable to raise the money required for a special air ambulance, but the local appeal they began in the UK was picked up by newspapers here and in Germany, and the money started flooding in.
At the 11th hour, the €12,000 was in place and Doreen was flown home in complete safety in the care of Capital Air Ambulance.
