Thousands of pounds need to be raised to cover Withington mum Carla Edwards’ medical bills
05:52, 29 Apr 2026Updated 06:29, 29 Apr 2026
Carla Edwards, 52, is stuck in a Turkish hospital after undergoing lifesaving surgery(Image: family handout)
A family are desperately trying to bring their beloved mum home after lifesaving surgery in a Turkish hospital. Carla Edwards, from Withington, flew out to Antalya for a week away with her son Demico and his family last Wednesday (April 22).
But on Friday, the 52-year-old became unresponsive in her hotel room. The mum-of-four was rushed to hospital, where medics discovered she had a perforated stomach ulcer and ruptured appendix, before a spell on an intensive care unit.
Carla’s family are now having to stump up £10,000 in medical costs, while she faces being ‘stuck in Turkey’ until it is paid. Her daughter Kyieisha told the Manchester Evening News: “She fell ill to the point where my brother couldn’t get any response from her.
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“He got security to go in her room, and she was lay unresponsive – her eyes were open but she couldn’t speak or anything. They got the medical team on-site to check her, they looked at her once and rang an ambulance.”
At hospital, it was discovered that Carla had a stomach ulcer, which the family had been unaware of. The ulcer had perforated, putting the much-loved grandmother-of-nine in a life-threatening situation, while she also had a ruptured appendix.
From left: Carla with her four children Kyieisha, Joshua, Jordelle and Demico(Image: family handout)
Kyieisha said: “She had a stomach ulcer which we only just found out about. That was perforated and toxins were leaking into her blood. If she had not had the surgery, they said she would have died.”
The family say Carla’s travel insurance has not covered the medical emergency, leaving the family with a steep £10,000 hospital bill. Half of those costs have been paid by the family, but they are now battling to raise the rest of the money.
“They are not letting her leave until the bill is paid,” Kyieisha said. With Demico and his family due to return back from Antalya tomorrow (Wednesday) while working to secure the funds, Carla is eager to return to Manchester as soon as possible.
A GoFundMe page was set up on the family’s behalf to help cover the unexpected costs. Having spoken to her mum, Kyieisha says Carla is eager to try ‘anything that will help to get her home’.
Carla Edwards, 52(Image: family handout)
“It’s the fact that she’s going to be on her own which is driving her up the wall,” Kyieisha said. “Today (Tuesday) she’s a little more back to herself. She’s out of the intensive care unit and she’s on a normal ward.
“They are going to try and get her to eat but she hasn’t eaten anything since she got to Turkey. She’s just really emotional and obviously scared.”
To see the GoFundMe page, click here.