Appeal to fly tumour woman home

Sylvia Davies has spent a month in intensive care in Canada

Friends of a west Wales woman seriously ill in Canada have launched an appeal to fly her home after her insurance company refused to meet the costs.

Sylvia Davies, 60, from Haverfordwest, suffered a brain tumour while on holiday in Vancouver with husband John.

Mr Davies, an antiques dealer, criticised the insurers and said he was desperate to get his wife home.

Inter Group insurers said Mrs Davies had an existing medical condition, but offered to talk to the couple again.

The Davies family claim they had told holiday company Canadian Affair that Mrs Davies may have suffered a mild stroke but had been pronounced fit to travel by two doctors.

They claim the company, which had sold them the insurance, gave them the go-ahead to proceed with the holiday. But this is disputed by Canadian Affair.

'Awful situation'

"At no time did we have a call from Mr Davies to say there had been a change in her medical condition," a spokeswoman for the company said.

"We have a record of calls throughout the year, but there is nothing to say that they had been to the doctor and she had been ill."

Mrs Davies collapsed while abroad and has spent a month in intensive care in Vancouver.

A statement by Inter Group, which handles 3m clients and more than 100,000 claims every year, said: "We do understand it's an awful situation to be in. We would be happy to talk to them again and outline the steps that they can take."

Mr Davies said on Tuesday his wife was "not very well at all".

Sylvia Davies, her son Gwyn and husband John

"We would love to get her home because she needs treatment now," he said.

Mrs Davies' daughter-in-law Jane told the BBC Wales news website the cost of that treatment alone could be more than £80,000.

It could cost a further £50,000 if she needs an air ambulance to bring her home, but they do not know when she will be able to return. "It should be a couple of weeks but that's not been confirmed yet," Jane Davies said.

The Welsh Assembly Member for Preseli Pembrokeshire, Tamsin Dunwoody, has said she will raise the case with Foreign Secretary Jack Straw.

And Preseli Pembrokeshire MP, Stephen Crabb, has had two meetings with Inter Group and is also asking the Foreign Office for help.