Sydney designer battling brain injury after hit by police car in Barcelona
A Sydney based fashion designer is battling a brain injury in a Spanish hospital after reportedly getting hit by a police car while holidaying with her partner in Barcelona.
Caroline Breure, 33, has been in a coma since the accident last month in Barcelona, according to a fundraising campaign set up by friends.
“Caroline was hit by a police car while crossing the road at a pedestrian crossing,” the page reads.
“She has since undergone a number of cranial operations, including the removal of part of her skull to reduce the swelling.”
Doctors say it's too early to say how severe her brain injuries are and she remains in a coma, Nine News reported.
While originally from Brazil, Ms Breure has lived in Sydney for about five years, where she founded a vegan-friendly shoe company called No Saints.
According to her LinkedIn profile, she started her ethical online shoe store in mid 2018 “to drive the shift towards a cruelty free world, one pair of shoes at a time” and would often encourage her friends not to buy leather shoes.
“Most people think vegans see themselves as being morally superior and better than everyone else. We want to break that stereotype and show you can be a better human without having to be perfect,” she said in a July interview with a vegan business blog.
Ms Breure’s mother Juceli has reportedly left her dental practice in Brazil and flown to Barcelona to be by her daughter’s side. Her partner Johan also remains with her.
According to Nine News, the woman’s travel insurance is expected to cover her medical costs.
“All donations will help give Caroline a fighting chance to recover and lead a normal life, as well as provide her mother the financial support that she needs to remain in Barcelona and provide care on a full time basis for her only child,” the fundraising page says.
At the time of writing, after launching the GoFundMe page on October 6, the family has raised $13,500 of a stated $100,000 goal.
“Our ultimate goal is to have Caroline transferred to the Guttman Institute in Barcelona, where she will be able to start the road to recovery, and then be relocated home once she is well enough to travel,” it says.
Yahoo News Australia has contacted the Department of Foreign Affairs for comment.
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