Family of 13 year old who suffered cardiac arrest on holiday ‘overwhelmed by generosity’ of supporters

Jack Caine is being treated in the intensive care unit at Son Espases Hospital on the Spanish island, after he collapsed while he was out walking with his parents on August 12.

Antony Caine said his son has been on a ventilator and will now need to undergo several operations, so he can be stabilised and then flown back to the UK for further treatment.

The concerned father claimed their travel insurance provider “don’t want to know” because Jack had a pre-existing heart murmur.

He is now appealing for donations on gofundme, to help cover the cost of the treatment and transport, and is also asking for help from his son’s favourite football team, Leeds United.

More than £35,000 has been donated so far and Mr Caine said the family are “totally overwhelmed by the generosity of everyone”.

In an update, he wrote: “Jack is improving day by day but is still a very poorly young boy and needs a couple of operations here before travelling. The first is scheduled for Thursday this week and then one a few days later.

“We are in the process of arranging Jacks transfer back to the UK but have been advised it’s probably best to have the operations first which will make Jack as stable and and as comfortable as he can be to travel by air ambulance back to a hospital near to his home.

"Thank you again for the kind words and donations.”

A cardiac arrest is when a person’s heart suddenly stops pumping blood around their body and it can be caused by a number of medical conditions. It is often mistaken for a heart attack, which is when the blood supply to the heart muscle is cut off.

The British Heart Foundation is working to improve the survival rate for people who suffer cardiac arrests, by making defibrillators more widely available and providing CPR training.

The charity said more than 30,000 people’s hearts stop when they are outside hospital each year.