Tourist fighting for life after being found unconscious while on Mexico holiday

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University of Georgia student Liza Burke, 22, was on holiday when disaster struck (Image: Friends Of Liza Burke/GoFundMe)
University of Georgia student Liza Burke, 22, was on holiday when disaster struck (Image: Friends Of Liza Burke/GoFundMe)

A tourist has been rushed to a hospital and is on life support after being found unconscious in her hotel room while on holiday in Mexico.

American Liza Burke, 22, was on spring break in Cabo San Lucas with her friends when she complained of a headache during breakfast.

The University of Georgia student went back to the hotel room but when friends went to check on her hours later they couldn't wake her.

A doctor was called and the young woman was rushed to hospital where she was diagnosed with with arteriovenous malformation (AVM) which which had caused her brain to haemorrhage.

An AVM is a tangle of blood vessels that connects arteries and veins in the brain. Although rare, some people are born with them but for others they can develop later in life.

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Tourist fighting for life after being found unconscious while on Mexico holidayFriends and family were desperate to get the young student home (FOX 5 Atlanta)

Ms Burke was placed on life support on Monday leaving her family and friends desperate to get her back home to Jacksonville.

Mum Laura McKeithen said: “The doctors there know it’s in her best interest to get to the US and are working with us to get her there safely."

Her friends set up a fundraiser to pay for the young student to get home and after several delays she arrived back in the US on Tuesday.

Her mum continued: “I started talking to her and asked her to squeeze my hand, she squeezed my hand. The intensive care unit pretty much lit up. At that point everyone was very happy."

McKeithen added this was her “worst fear because I’ve had it happen before”.

Her sister died in 2018 due to a rare genetic disorder.

Ms Burke will have to undergo a number of other tests before doctors “really have a sense of what’s going on”.

Tourist fighting for life after being found unconscious while on Mexico holidayMs Burke ended up on life support (FOX 5 Atlanta)

Writing in her fundraiser, friend Jennifer Ritter said: "So many people have reached out wanting to help which is a testament to how many people Liza has touched. She is genuine, dynamic, playful and fierce.

"She has so much left to give to the world. Please continue to pray for her full recovery."

The fundraiser has already raised over $138,000.

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Ms Ritter continued: "All donations will help fund her life-flight transport from Mexico to Jacksonville. Thank you for loving our sweet Liza."

This comes after authorities in Texas warned US citizens to not travel to Mexico during the spring break, due to high levels of criminal activity, and after the recent cases of deadly kidnapping of Americans in the country.

Steven McCraw, the director of the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS), said in a statement that drug cartel violence and other criminal activity represented a "significant safety threat" to anyone who crosses into Mexico right now.

The US State Department has issued a 'Do Not Travel' advisory warning for six Mexican states, including Colima, Guerrero, Michoacan, Sinaloa, Tamaulipas, and Zacatecas state.

Charlie Jones

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