What was meant to be a sunny, carefree family vacation in Spain turned into a devastating ordeal when a mother of two experienced a violent fall in her hotel — breaking her neck and sustaining a brain hemorrhage.
Emma Hickey, a 42-year-old caregiver from Kilbarrack, north Dublin, had set off on June 13, 2025, for a 12-day getaway to Costa Adeje, Tenerife, with her partner, Stephen Brougham, and their two children.
Ten days into the trip, on June 23, Hickey woke up covered in countless mosquito bites. The reaction was so intense that she visited a local hospital and received injections to relieve the swelling and irritation.
Later that day, while making her way down the hotel stairs with her family en route to a pharmacy, Hickey suddenly became dizzy. She collapsed without warning, striking her head against the concrete steps and beginning to convulse violently.
An ambulance rushed her to a nearby hospital, where a CT scan revealed severe brain bleeding requiring immediate surgery. Doctors also discovered fractures in her neck and decided to place her into a medically induced coma to stabilize her.
Her partner, Brougham, described the terrifying scene:
“She collapsed on the steps and began shaking. It was horrific — I witnessed it all. I can’t put into words how traumatic it was. That image is burned into my mind forever.”
He attributed the shocking incident to a combination of factors: the mosquito bites, the medications, the heat, and Hickey’s determination to push through the vacation for the children’s sake.
“The bites were everywhere — draining her energy and covering her entire body,” Brougham said.
“This was meant to be a beautiful family escape, but it has become a total nightmare,” he added. Now, Brougham is trying to manage the children and search for temporary housing while Hickey remains in intensive care.
Doctors have indicated that Hickey will stay under close observation until she wakes up, while Brougham works through the costly medical bills — about $1,400 per day — and liaises with insurance providers.
To support the family, a GoFundMe campaign was launched by family friend Karen Whelan. The fundraiser aims to help cover living expenses and medical costs so that Stephen and the kids, Sophie and Bobby, can remain in Tenerife during Emma’s recovery.
“We are asking for any support possible to help Stephen and the children stay by Emma’s side and focus on her long road to healing,” Whelan wrote on the fundraiser page.
Although Tenerife is a popular warm-weather destination, mosquito populations tend to be low. However, they are more common in lush resort areas with regular watering. Local travel guides recommend applying mosquito repellents regularly, which are readily available in local stores.
Brougham admitted they didn’t anticipate how severe mosquito bites could become.
“We never imagined such small insects could cause so much harm,” he said.
Our thoughts are with Emma and her family as they face this incredibly difficult time, and we wish her a full and speedy recovery.