Former Chester bar owner’s hospital fight sparks appeal
An urgent fundraising appeal has been launched to help pay for the medical care of former Chester bar owner James Nicolian after he suffered a life-threatening stroke in Morocco.
James, 48, ran the Exotic Booze Club in the old Chester Market with his partner Kate O’Neil and was a well-known figure in the city’s hospitality scene. The couple had recently relocated to Morocco when James, fondly known as ‘Big J’, became seriously ill.
With the couple’s insurance covering only a small proportion of hospital costs, friends and family have launched a GoFundMe page to help pay for his treatment and to eventually bring him home.
James remains in a critical condition in a Moroccan hospital and faces months, if not years, of treatment, rehabilitation and round-the-clock care.
A familiar face in Chester for many years, James had previously been landlord of the Egerton Arms in Little Budworth and later opened the Exotic Booze Club in Chester Market. He also ran The Sandy Box (now Love Shack) and organised Chester Cocktail Week. He and Kate also worked on bars at large events, including the National Television Awards.
Close friend Matthew Lisle set up the fundraising page to support Kate and James, with donations going directly towards daily hospital fees and ongoing medical treatment.
Kate O’Neil said: “James was a popular, well-known and well-loved character in Chester and so if you ever worked with him, visited our bar, had a great night out with him and are able to help, even £1 is really appreciated in the fight to continue to fund his ongoing medical care and ultimately bring him home. James is a fighter but I’m under no illusions as to how serious his condition is right now. We face a long uphill battle and he will need care 24/7 for the foreseeable future. It’s another illustration of just how precious life is and how things can change in a heartbeat.”
She added: “James must stay in hospital for the foreseeable and in Morocco for at least 6 weeks before he will be allowed to travel on a medical flight back to the UK. Even then, we don’t know if that will be possible due to the massive blood clot to his brain. His speech, sight and mobility have been severely affected and he is barely able to move. Our friends in both Morocco and the UK have been amazing. Cash is king in Morocco and we have to pay for his care daily, scan by scan or it doesn’t happen. The hospital are holding our passports and they literally stand over you whilst you use your credit card to pay for each and every bit of treatment. We really don’t know what the future holds at the moment and are just taking it day by day, hour by hour.”
Anyone wishing to support the appeal can donate via the GoFundMe page: https://gofund.me/fc6f5aae2
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