Melanie Hartshorn, from Sea View Villas in Cramlington, had initially been discharged from the Barcelona hospital after a life-saving procedure to stabilise her joints.

The 33-year-old has an extreme form of genetic condition Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, which makes connective tissue weaker, and suffers severe health problems due to frequent dislocations of her skull, neck, and spine.

But after experiencing allergic reactions to her tube feeds while recovering at an apartment in Spain, Melanie was readmitted to hospital last week and is on a drip which feeds nutrition directly to her heart known as total parenteral nutrition (TPN).