Friends launch fundraiser to get Edinburgh man’s body back home to heartbroken mum

A fundraiser has been launched to help bring the body of an Edinburgh man who died in a foreign hospital back home to his heartbroken mother.
Ssean CreganSsean Cregan
Ssean Cregan

Sean Cregan was found dead in his hospital bed in Stuttgart, Germany in the early hours of Friday morning following more than two years of desperately seeking help for his complex condition.

The 39-year-old was believed to have Anti-NMDA receptor encephalitis – a type of brain inflammation due to antibodies – and a cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) leak which led to him fainting when sitting up or standing as the circulation cut off to his brain.

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Sean’s mum, Rose, blames the NHS for her son’s death, claiming he was neglected by doctors throughout the UK. With the devastated mum having no funds to bring his body home from Germany, Sean’s friends have stepped in and set up a gofundme page to help transport his body back to Scotland.

Carley SavageCarley Savage
Carley Savage

Carley Savage first met the photographer on an online support group back in 2017 and admits to being devastated when she heard the news of his passing.

She said: “I saw his health and speech deteriorate. He was frightened at the lack of understanding for his condition.

“He’d be crying down the phone to me. He was scared for his life. All his friends were desperate to help him but we couldn’t because we’re ill too.

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“Everyone in the online community is so sad to hear the news and we all now want justice for Sean.

“He was passed from bed to bed in the UK – his treatment was horrific. He was begging for help that never came.”

A letter in his medical notes revealed experts felt he had “fabricated illness type syndrome”. This left his grieving mother in disbelief after seeing her precious son deteriorate in front of her eyes.

The 72-year-old, from Clermiston, added: “He kept on getting discharged saying nothing was wrong because experts were not listening to him and neglected him. There was no need for him to get to this point. I’m on my own and it’s breaking my heart.”

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A total of $5,849 of a $10,000 goal has been raised in just three days in a bid to bring Sean back to his grieving mother. Carley, 43, from Cornwall, is now housebound after living with a similar condition to Sean for 19 years. She is one of a number of friends who are uniting to do everything they can not only to bring his body home, but also help with funding a private autopsy and his funeral.

“Sean was very clever and spent his time educating and helping people with a similar condition to his own,” said Carley.

“Rose is at home in shock and has no money now to bring him back home. She has put everything into helping him and now she has nothing left. That’s why we, as a community, are looking to help her as much as we can.

“It’s awful that Sean is now just in a morgue in Germany. We also want to know how and why he died because that has yet to be disclosed. Sean should not be dead and Rose should not be having to grieve for her son.”

People wishing to donate can go to https://www.gofundme.com/72ob61c

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