Family return £30,000 in donations for injured Barnsley holidaymaker after insurance company's change of heart

Jenni Evans, aged 22 and from Barnsley, was a passenger on a motorbike when she was involved in a serious accident on Ko Pha Ngan island on Thursday, May 11, causing substantial damage to her right leg.

Her desperate family launched an appeal to raise £100,000 to pay for the care she needed after her insurance company originally said they wouldn’t pay out - but are now able to return almost £30,000 in donations made by more than 1,300 people.

The Just Giving website where donations were collected has now agreed to return the money to those who donated.

The Barnsley Council worker was on the holiday of a lifetime with her boyfriend Joe when the accident occurred. Due to a misunderstanding around what British driving licenses will allow you to do abroad, Jenni was not insured to be on the motorbike, though she was unaware of this at the time.

Her family had feared she was not getting the treatment she needed on Ko Pha Ngan and were concerned she may lose her leg as a result, leading to the urgent fundraising appeal being launched.

But her insurance company have now agreed to cover the costs of medical evacuation and treatment and she has been moved from a hospital on the island to a private hospital in Bangkok.

A statement on the JustGiving page set up for Jenni said: “The insurance company have contacted us and informed us that, after re-visiting her case, they are now prepared to cover all of her health costs and repatriation to the UK when medically fit.

"The publicity and support we as a family have received has been absolutely incredible, so thank you from the bottom of our hearts for helping to make this happen.”

Her mother Andrea Evans said: “Jenni’s leg is still infected and she is at risk of further complications.

"She is currently receiving good care, trying to manage the infection and severe pain levels and is also undergoing blood/organ tests to check if there are any other complications.

"When Jennifer is in a stable enough condition she will be repatriated to the UK but we are still awaiting the results of the tests for a decision on this.”