Brit mum gives birth on holiday - now faces £1k-a-week hospital bills

A British mother who gave birth at just 26 weeks pregnant while on holiday in Turkey is now facing £1,000-a-week hospital bills. 

Mum-of-two Tesni Griffiths, 27, was visiting her partner Omar's family in the Middle East when she suddenly went into labour 12 weeks early.

She had to have emergency C-section while abroad and baby Aras was born on September 27 - weighing just 2lb 2oz.

Tesni was on holiday from Wrexham, North Wales, when she woke up with mild cramps - and was then rushed to a hospital nearly three hours away.

She said: 'So I got rushed to Mugla hospital in an ambulance. When I arrived I tried to give birth naturally but my baby's heart rate suddenly dropped so I had to be rushed for an emergency c-section.

'I woke up around 6pm, Aras was born with a tiny hole in his heart and with respiratory problems we can only see him on a Monday and Thursday for 30 minutes.'

Tesni said that Aras is 'doing well,' adding: 'He is on oxygen but he is not ventilated.

'It definitely has been a really scary experience. Even now I'm still scared.

'My last birth, Alfie, was eight years ago and he was 10 weeks early but it wasn't as hard as this birth.'

Lia's Wings charity, a hospital air transfers for children, is flying Tesni and baby Aras home in six weeks time - but his care at the Turkish hospital costs nearly £1,000 a week.

A GoFundMe page has been set up to help raise funds to try and help bring the pair home early.

Tesni said: 'We will struggle to pay that as the c-section and ambulance was just over £2000 so we are trying to raise funds to go towards his hospital care and transport to the hospital - a five hour journey each day.

'Any help is really appreciated and we are trying our best to get baby Aras back to the UK.'

The fundraiser hopes to raise £2,000 - with £740 being donated so far.