Donna and Sid Jobling say their lives have been on hold a year after she fell ill on holiday in Crete
Donna and Sid Jobling as they are today(Image: Hudgell Solicitors)
A Hull woman who contracted Legionnaires’ disease on holiday in Greece has told how she fears she may never recover, a year after falling ill. Donna and Sid Jobling say their lives have ‘been on hold’ for a year, after a trip abroad left Donna with long-lasting health issues in the wake of the debilitating lung condition.
Donna, now 58, spent 16 days in an induced coma at Venizeleio Hospital after developing the condition during her easyJet holiday to Crete last June, leaving her unable to move from her neck down without help.
On her return to the UK she spent weeks in Hull Royal Infirmary, where she was diagnosed with Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS). The rare autoimmune disorder often follows a viral or bacterial infection, and it sees the body’s immune system mistakenly attack the nerves, causing weakness and respiratory issues. She has been told her case was of the more serious nature, triggering significant nerve damage.
The illness has left Donna spending many days in bed at home, unable to get up because of pain, weakness and a lack of energy – and she is unable to walk far, meaning husband Sid often has to push her in a wheelchair on the occasions they leave the house. A year on, Donna has trouble sleeping, suffers severe nerve pain and also has flashbacks to when she became ill, leaving her exhausted during the day.
Husband Sid, 70, has effectively been her full-time carer over the past 12 months, having to help with washing and showering and providing all her meals. He says he will continue to be by his wife’s side, no matter what the future holds. Speaking for the first time about her illness, Donna told how she fears she will never fully recover, having seen little progress over the last 12 months.
She said: “My life has been totally changed, as it has for my husband Sid who I feel so sorry for as he has to do everything for me now and is effectively my carer. I’m determined to stay positive and do all I can to get better, but it has been such slow progress that I do get frustrated and angry.
“Many days I simply can’t lift my legs to be able to get out of bed and I am just completely shattered. I’ve been told I may never get much better. It’s so difficult. I don’t want anybody else to go through what we have gone through over the last year, and continue to go through now. I’ve only recently started to feel a little more strength in my left arm, so that I can lift a small weight, the progress has been that slow.
“There are times I feel I have been so unfortunate, but then I remember a consultant saying how lucky I was to come out of the coma, and also that I could still have been completely paralysed today. Nobody should be in this position from a holiday though. It just shouldn’t happen.”
Sid said Donna feels frustrated and angry, adding: “Our legal team have requested for the cost of occupational therapy to be covered as medical experts have identified the need for it and the benefits it could bring, but we are waiting on that, and they have also left us waiting on whether they are going to accept or deny being at fault.
“I think it would be really important to Donna to see some acceptance from easyJet as to their responsibility. If they don’t accept responsibility, how will things change and prevent others suffering in the same way?
“Our lives have been on hold for the past year, and at present, we can’t look any further than tomorrow. We have to wake up each and every day and assess how Donna feels after a couple of hours as to what we will do that day. Some days she’s able to come downstairs and speak to family and friends on the phone.
“Other days we are able to get out for a short time and I can push her wheelchair. Many days though she simply has to stay in bed and she rests most of the day. She has no energy at all and is simply too weak.”
Sid told how their lives have been up-ended: “We are hoping and praying that she continues to get better day by day, but whatever happens she is my wife and I’ll be at her side to help. That’s what married life is.
“Our lives have completely changed as we used to have a great social life and enjoyed holidays in our motorhome and getting out on my motorbike together. We can’t see those days returning at present, and sometimes Donna says to me that she’s sorry for what has happened and asks if I still love her, which of course I do, I always will.
“We’re fighting this together, but we should never have been left in this position. With the right hygiene standards and checks in place, this is completely avoidable, and easyJet and other holiday operators have a responsibility to ensure the hotels they send customers to are safe.
“We won’t give up on getting justice. It’s important not just for us, but for others in the future too when they go on holiday.”
The legal claim against easyJet Holidays is being led by specialists Hudgell Solicitors. Representatives of easyJet have agreed to cover the cost of regular physiotherapy sessions, but as yet are to agree to providing occupational therapy support, which has been requested.
Anne Thomson, of Hudgell Solicitors, represents Donna in her civil claim against easyJet Holidays and has urged it to accept liability for her contracting Legionnaires’ disease at the hotel.
The firm also represents another woman who was diagnosed with Legionnaires’ disease after staying at the same hotel on an easyJet holiday for 10 nights, just a month prior to Sid and Donna’s stay there. She was taken ill shortly after returning home to the UK in May 2025 and needed to be taken to the hospital after calling 111.
As part of its work on the cases, Hudgells received confirmation from the European Legionnaires’ disease Surveillance Network (ELDSNet) of two separate reports of ‘travel-associated Legionnaires’ disease ‘associated with a history of travel to the Sergios Hotel’.
Mrs Thomson added: “The impact of contracting Legionnaires’ disease, and subsequently Guillain-Barré syndrome, has been life-changing not only for Mrs Jobling but also for her husband Sid too, who has had to do almost everything for her as she has been left so weak. We are really hopeful that representatives of easyJet will agree to providing more, much-needed support soon, and of course that they will also admit liability without the need to take this case through the courts.
“The opinion of independent medical professionals who have assessed Mrs Jobling is that she really needs occupational therapy treatment alongside her physiotherapy if she is to make any substantial progress, so we are hoping this is something they agree to soon.”
An easyJet holidays spokesperson said: “We’re sorry to hear that Ms Jobling remains unwell and for the impact this has had on her. We’ve continued to support Ms Jobling, including funding an initial course of rehabilitation, and we have been exploring further ways to assist her.
“As this is an ongoing legal matter, it would be inappropriate to comment further at this stage. We hope the matter is resolved swiftly through the appropriate legal process.”
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