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Mum and daughter stranded in Montenegro hospital

News imageFamily Three women pose for a photo having done a muddy run. The mother is in the middle wearing a black top and medal with a pink lanyard. She has her arms around her two daughters. The one on the right is a teenager, with brown plaited hair and wearing a brown top and a medal. On the left is an older woman in her twenties, wearing a light top and holding a water bottle.Family
Helen and Nell Barrett with oldest daughter Ella (left) before the accident

A £40,000 fundraising appeal has been started to help a mum and her teenage daughter return to the UK for ongoing treatment after being hit by a car in Montenegro.

Helen and Nell Barratt, from Worcester, were struck on the first day of their holiday in Budva on 13 April, Nell's elder sister Ella said.

Their injuries included a broken collarbone, spinal fractures and head wounds.

Although they originally had travel insurance, it is understood to have expired and Ella said the fundraising target reflected the cost of getting the pair home as they would need medical support.

Warning: This article includes images that some readers might find distressing

Ella said her mum and 19-year-old sister had described walking along the path to a local shop last week when a driver left the road and hit them.

"My mum flew backwards into another parked car, hit her head and all her back so she had the impact from the one car and then hit into the other car," she said.

The BBC has approached the local police in Budva for more information on their investigation.

News imageFamily A close up of a woman's injured head with multiple stitches. Her blonde hair is bloodied as she looks up at the camera.Family
Helen Barrett suffered 10 separate head injuries

The mum and daughter were both rushed to a local hospital and are being treated for multiple injuries.

They have Global Health Insurance Cards, which in the case of Montenegro means emergency treatment has been free, but they have had to pay for follow-up care.

Ella, who lives in neighbouring Serbia with her partner, said she had been quoted £40,000 to fly them home, because they were both immobile and would need special medical transport instead of being able to take a commercial flight.

The family, originally from Newark, in Nottinghamshire, have contacted the British Embassy and a local lawyer but a friend set up a Go Fund Me page to try and help.

News imageFamily A girl lies in a hospital bed facing away from the camera. You can see a bad injury to her right side of her back.Family
Nell Barrett is in hospital with injuries to her spine and collarbone

"It's been an absolute godsend that people actually want to help and they are being so supportive and donating money," Ella said.

"To get them home would mean absolutely everything as they're both scared and so worried."

In a statement, a Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office spokesperson said: "We are supporting the family of two British nationals who are hospitalised in Montenegro and are in contact with the local authorities."

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