Former Argos cheerleader stranded in Croatia in coma
By Jenny Yuen ,Toronto Sun
First posted: Tuesday, August 21, 2012 08:51 PM EDT | Updated: Tuesday, August 21, 2012 09:00 PM EDT
leibenko 220812 Artem Leibenko (middle) holds a photo of his sister - Anna Leibenko, 24, while posing for a picture in a Richmond Hill home on Tuesday August 21, 2012. With him are his sisters friends - from left - Julie Provo and Mandy Monroe. From right are - Tatyana Fursenko, Robbie Garcia and Vanessa Montejano. His sister was severed injured while traveling in Croatia. Her family needs to raise $ 93,550.00 USD for her medical bills and to get her back to Canada. Currently Anna is in a coma with internal brain bleeding and numerous head and face fractures. She is hooked up to a life support machine and is in critical condition. (Ernest Doroszuk/Toronto Sun)
TORONTO - Former Toronto Argonauts cheerleader Anna Leibenko has always been known as a “fighter” to her friends and family.
Now, the 24-year-old is fighting for her life after an accidental slip off a catamaran in Croatian waters Friday left her in a coma with internal brain bleeding.
“I was just speechless,” Leibenko’s brother, Artem, 26, said Tuesday.
“My emotions have taken the best of me for two days. I was having anxiety attacks. She’s cheerful, always had a smile on her face, people love her.”
Leibenko, of Richmond Hill, had been travelling across Europe with three friends since July 27, when they decided to take part in Croatia’s “Yacht Week,” her brother said.
She accidentally slipped off the boat, hit her head on a ledge and fell into the ocean. She was transported by helicopter to a neurosurgery hospital in Split, Croatia.
Listed in critical condition, she’s hooked up to a life support machine. The internal brain bleeding, however, has subsided, Artem said.
Their mother, Marina, is in Croatia by her side.
“When my mom was there, she grabbed her hand and was talking to her,” he said. “My sister’s eyelids twitched a bit. So maybe she can hear when she’s in this coma, but the best thing to do is bring her home.”
To do that, Leibenko’s friends and family are raising money — a target of $93,000 — to help pay for an air ambulance to transport her back to Toronto.
Some friends have even offered rides in their Ferrari at $200 a pop to raise funds. Part of that money would also be used to pay for hospital bills — $20,000 so far.
Friends had raised more than $20,000 as of Tuesday afternoon.
Artem said the family is not getting any assistance from the government.
“I called foreign affairs and they said, ‘If they didn’t have insurance, we’re not going to cover her expenses,’” he said.
Foreign affairs spokesman Barbara Harvey said Canadian consular officials are providing assistance to the family as required.
“However, to protect the private and personal information of the individual concerned, further details on this case cannot be released,” she said.
The Russian-born Leibenko celebrated a birthday in late July. She attended Newton Brook High School in North York and graduated Seneca College with a diploma in corporate and media production in 2010. She was an Argonauts cheerleader for one year.
For more information about where to donate, go to help-anna-leibenko.org.
Former Argos cheerleader stranded in Croatia in coma | Toronto & GTA | News | Toronto Sun
Helping Anna
Injured Richmond Hill resident Anna Leibenko lies in a coma in Europe with no travel insurance. They need help getting her back to Canada.
August 21, 2012 20:50
From Toronto Sun
Helping Anna : Featured TOR : Videos
By Jenny Yuen ,Toronto Sun
First posted: Tuesday, August 21, 2012 08:51 PM EDT | Updated: Tuesday, August 21, 2012 09:00 PM EDT
leibenko 220812 Artem Leibenko (middle) holds a photo of his sister - Anna Leibenko, 24, while posing for a picture in a Richmond Hill home on Tuesday August 21, 2012. With him are his sisters friends - from left - Julie Provo and Mandy Monroe. From right are - Tatyana Fursenko, Robbie Garcia and Vanessa Montejano. His sister was severed injured while traveling in Croatia. Her family needs to raise $ 93,550.00 USD for her medical bills and to get her back to Canada. Currently Anna is in a coma with internal brain bleeding and numerous head and face fractures. She is hooked up to a life support machine and is in critical condition. (Ernest Doroszuk/Toronto Sun)
TORONTO - Former Toronto Argonauts cheerleader Anna Leibenko has always been known as a “fighter” to her friends and family.
Now, the 24-year-old is fighting for her life after an accidental slip off a catamaran in Croatian waters Friday left her in a coma with internal brain bleeding.
“I was just speechless,” Leibenko’s brother, Artem, 26, said Tuesday.
“My emotions have taken the best of me for two days. I was having anxiety attacks. She’s cheerful, always had a smile on her face, people love her.”
Leibenko, of Richmond Hill, had been travelling across Europe with three friends since July 27, when they decided to take part in Croatia’s “Yacht Week,” her brother said.
She accidentally slipped off the boat, hit her head on a ledge and fell into the ocean. She was transported by helicopter to a neurosurgery hospital in Split, Croatia.
Listed in critical condition, she’s hooked up to a life support machine. The internal brain bleeding, however, has subsided, Artem said.
Their mother, Marina, is in Croatia by her side.
“When my mom was there, she grabbed her hand and was talking to her,” he said. “My sister’s eyelids twitched a bit. So maybe she can hear when she’s in this coma, but the best thing to do is bring her home.”
To do that, Leibenko’s friends and family are raising money — a target of $93,000 — to help pay for an air ambulance to transport her back to Toronto.
Some friends have even offered rides in their Ferrari at $200 a pop to raise funds. Part of that money would also be used to pay for hospital bills — $20,000 so far.
Friends had raised more than $20,000 as of Tuesday afternoon.
Artem said the family is not getting any assistance from the government.
“I called foreign affairs and they said, ‘If they didn’t have insurance, we’re not going to cover her expenses,’” he said.
Foreign affairs spokesman Barbara Harvey said Canadian consular officials are providing assistance to the family as required.
“However, to protect the private and personal information of the individual concerned, further details on this case cannot be released,” she said.
The Russian-born Leibenko celebrated a birthday in late July. She attended Newton Brook High School in North York and graduated Seneca College with a diploma in corporate and media production in 2010. She was an Argonauts cheerleader for one year.
For more information about where to donate, go to help-anna-leibenko.org.
Former Argos cheerleader stranded in Croatia in coma | Toronto & GTA | News | Toronto Sun
Helping Anna
Injured Richmond Hill resident Anna Leibenko lies in a coma in Europe with no travel insurance. They need help getting her back to Canada.
August 21, 2012 20:50
From Toronto Sun
Helping Anna : Featured TOR : Videos