Horror as family told to pay £60k to save mum's life after she collapses in sea in Jamaica

The family of a gran who suffered a devastating heart attack during a dream holiday to Jamaica has embarked on a drive to raise £60,000 for a life-saving operation - after her travel insurers refused to cough up.

Social worker Debbie Willcock, 62, from Bolton, remains poorly in hospital in Montego Bay where doctors won't perform stent surgery until the bill has been paid up front.

Debbie travelled with her family to Jamaica last week for her daughter's wedding. But the nuptials had to be cancelled when she suffered a heart attack as she was paddling in the sea at the Holiday Inn Resort in Montego Bay on Friday.

Try MEN Premium for FREE by clicking here for no ads, fun puzzles and brilliant new features.

Now her insurers AXA Partners are refusing to pay her medical bills. The family say her insurance company is refusing to pay up because she mistakenly failed to tick a box to say she has diabetes - her family admit she didn't mention she had diabetes when the policy was purchased.

A spokeswoman for the insurance company said it was 'crucial that previous medical history and any pre-existing conditions are declared'.

Debbie was rushed to hospital but her family say medics refused to stabilise her until her husband stumped up £16,000 in life savings. Now the family is trying to raise a further £60,000 to pay for an operation for a stent to be fitted. The family has started a gofundme page here.

Her son Aaron Willcock, 38, said his mother has been moved out of intensive care into 'a side room' as the money they had already paid for intensive care had run out.

Describing the moment his mother was struck down, he told the M.E.N: "She had a heart attack and cardiac arrest. She actually died in the beach but they managed to