'Much-loved' Leeds wife celebrating wedding anniversary in Lanzarote left fighting for her life

A “much-loved” Leeds wife has been left fighting for her life in a Gran Canaria hospital after what was supposed to be a trip celebrating her 10th wedding anniversary.

Julie Tindall, 43, from Leeds, was days into a holiday in Lanzarote with her husband, John, before suffering a blood clot on the brain that led to a severe stroke.

The pair had been just days into their trip when, on June 21, Julie became unresponsive in her hotel room. John had recently completed first aid training, and recognised immediately that something was seriously wrong and alerted staff.

Julie and John were taken first to a medical centre and then transferred to the main hospital where it was discovered she had suffered a massive stroke.

She was transferred urgently to Gran Canaria for emergency surgery to remove a blood clot from her brain and was placed into an induced coma.

John told the YEP: “Julie is a much‑loved wife, sister, daughter, and friend.

“This has been a devastating shock for all of us, and her recovery will be a long journey.”

Doctors explained that the stroke had caused significant damage to the right side of her brain, resulting in paralysis on the left side. Following the stroke, Julie began experiencing seizures, so she was placed on strong anti‑seizure medication.

Julie awoke from her coma on June 25 and has since been taken off the ventilator and moved to a neurological ward. She is awake, stable, and receiving specialist neurological care, but faces a long-term recovery. While the effects of the stroke are significant, she is showing important early signs of progress.

John has faced huge challenges supporting Julie and has been left navigating an unfamiliar medical system, with limited communication and access to support.

He has been responsible for organising the emergency travel alone, and although translation support is technically available through insurance and the British Consulate, accessing it has proven difficult.

The health system is also very different to that of the UK, with John explaining that he faced hurdles getting appointments with doctors, has faced delays in updates on Julie’s condition and has found communication inconsistent.

A GoFundMe, set up by the family, is the only reason John has been able to stay in Gran Canaria and remain by Julie’s side.

He added: “The support we’ve already received has meant more than we can express.

“We are deeply grateful for every message, donation, and act of kindness.”

Julie has travel insurance, but the insurance company has not yet covered any costs, instead requiring John to pay everything up front and then submit receipts.

Navigating this while Julie is unwell has been a struggle, with John finding he has even had to push to get the claim form.

The GoFundMe will cover basic living costs such as accommodation, basic living costs and translation and support services to help navigate the healthcare system.

There is no guarantee that Julie’s travel insurance will reimburse these costs or that John’s flights, accommodation or daily expenses will be covered, and he may even have to pay for his return flight home.

John explained that the support from the fundraiser will mean he can stay close to Julie during the most critical period of her recovery and will ease the worry of financial pressure, allowing him to focus solely on her care, comfort and long-term rehabilitation.

The couple have urged people to understand the importance of getting travel and health insurance when booking trips - stressing that it can “be genuinely life‑changing”.

Julie had only purchased her policy after speaking with John’s mum, before her dad reinforced how essential it was.

John added: “Without that insurance, her situation, and the situation for the whole family, would be drastically different. “

You can support Julie and her family by donating to their GoFundMe or sharing her story to help raise awareness.