News / Appeal to help Hungarian couple
SHETLANDERS are again showing their incredible generosity and compassion, this time to help a local Hungarian couple stranded in Germany following a tragic accident.
Anett Gyenge is making a slow recovery in a specialist hospital after sustaining life threatening head injuries when slipping on wet cobbled steps outside a church near Stuttgart, on 19 July.
The 33 year old was immediately airlifted to Ludwigsburg hospital where doctors performed a laryngectomy to help her breathe, removed a part of her skull and also put her into an induced coma.
Ten days ago, she was brought out of coma and moved to a hospital at Göppingen to start recuperation although she still needs an operation to place an implant over the gap in her skull.
Speaking from Germany on Monday, her partner Gergely Barta said Anett was still very weak but was making steady progress.
“She is a little better every day. She tries to speak and she also tried walking a little. I can see an improvement daily; it’s very, very good,” he said.
He said his best guess was that she would have to remain in hospital for up to two further months.
Gergely, who locally is known as Gery, has been by her bedside since the accident happened, as has Anett’s mother Maria, who also lives in Shetland, and her father Pal.
The family has now spent all their savings and a fundraising appeal has been organised by local supporters.
Since the weekend more than £3,300 have been raised via crowdfunding appeal at https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/help-shetland-hungarian-anett-gyenge#/story
A Facebook site to keep the local community up to date with developments has also been set up: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Help-Anett-and-Gergely/1624917011101327
There is uncertainty as to who will have to pay for the significant medical cost. They did not have travel insurance but have their European Health Insurance Cards.
Gery added that trying to be near his partner at this difficult time has not been easy.
With Anett having been moved to a different hospital the family hopes to be able to find a room or a small flat to rent nearby.
“It is not going to be easy; it is so expensive everywhere”, Gery said,
The couple came to Shetland in 2013 and now live in Lerwick.
Anett works as a waitress and barmaid in the Shetland Hotel while Gery has worked at the Scalloway Meat Company and more recently also at the Thule Bar.
They were on their way to Hungary on holiday and interrupted their journey for a bit of sightseeing when the accident happened.
Campaign spokeswoman Angela Sutherland said: “All of their savings have now been used up for the cost of him staying with her at the hospital.
“The Hungarian government will not help them because they have lived in the UK too long and have been paying their taxes here.
“We would like to raise some money just to help Gery stay with Anett and to bring her home to Scotland once she is able to travel.”
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