A PLEA has been launched to bring a young Irish teacher home after she suffered three cardiac arrests and a stroke while working in the UAE.
Aisling Brady, 26 and originally from Trim in Co Meath, is a physics and maths teacher who moved to the UAE last year.
While she had planned to take an extended career break from her work at home and eventually return to Ireland, on November 27 this all changed.
Aisling fainted in school and hit her head on the floor, coming to minutes later in a wheelchair, disorientated but 'totally aware.'
While she believed she fainted due to stress, her friends said, her condition took a serious turn in the ambulance on the way to the hospital.
The young Irish woman three seizures during the 15 minute journey to the hospital, where she then had three cardiac arrests.
Between each arrest, Aisling was resuscitated for three to four minutes, which was then further complicated when she had a stroke caused by a shower of smaller clots to her brain.
Her boyfriend Kristian Mansfield said: "This has caused serious damage to the brain and, combined with the total of twelve minutes of hypoxia, really left her cardio-vascular system and brain very, very weak."
The cause of Aisling's condition was a pulmonary embolism which had formed in her leg over a long period of time, rushing up to her heart and eventually ending up caught in her lungs, thought to be caused by frequent flying since moving to the UAE.
For Aisling to return to health, she will need to undergo long term rehabilitation and recovery, which means bringing her home to Ireland.
"Everybody that knows Aisling understands she is resilient, driven, stubborn and tenacious and she will not settle for anything less than getting her life back up to speed.
"With the right help and support, there is every hope we can together get her back to her loving and caring self," Mr Mansfield said.
"She has left huge footprints in the world, on our lives, let's make sure she can keep doing that."
Aisling's medical insurance provided by the school does not cover anything with regards to emergency medical evacuation or rehabilitation at home, so her parents will have to front these costs, Mr Mansfield said.
Her family and loved ones have opted to bring Ms Brady back to Ireland, but due to her fragile condition it's extremely risky and they must ensure they take every step to mitigate the risks associated with the manoeuvre.
"We have decided to go for a full Air Ambulance. This is a jet which will fly at a much lower altitude and is essentially a hospital in the sky," Mr Mansfield said.
"She will have a cardiac specialist, neuro specialist, general doctor and nurses on-board, as well as a pre-mapped routes with potential emergency landing locations aligned.
"Once landed they will arrange for her to be made comfortable in a hospital in Ireland. It is a complete bed to bed service and on that basis is extremely expensive."
While Aisling's condition may improve over the coming weeks and costs may reduce, any remaining money will go into her rehabilitation program which is "going to be a long and hard road for all involved," Mr Mansfield said.
"This could be anything from helping her learn to communicate again, motor skills or even logical thinking.
"Every donation will bring Aisling one step closer to full health and happiness again," he said.
