The insurance company which refused to pay a medical bill for a Haverfordwest woman taken ill on a Canadian holiday has had a change of heart.

Antique dealer Sylvia Davies collapsed with a brain haemorrhage in October and had to have an emergency operation. She sadly lost her battle for life a month ago.

But, after reading a front page article in the Western Telegraph about Sylvia's death, and criticism of the company's action, insurer Inter Group has come up with £75,000.

The Davies' plight in Canada touched the hearts of the people of Pembrokeshire. An appeal was launched by three friends - Marilyn Young, Esme Utting and Alun Jones - to raise money to fly Sylvia home so she could be with her family at Christmas. They succeeded and Sylvia was able to see her children and grandchildren.

On the eve of Sylvia's funeral her husband John received a final bill for 165,530 Canadian dollars, of which he had already paid 25,000 dollars.

He was warned that the outstanding amount had to be met within ten days or the account would be sent to a debt collection agency.

The stark demand, on top of the death of his wife, came as a bitter blow for John.

Esme said: "It was terrible. John thought he would have to sell his home as well as Sylvia's antique shop."

But he had just arrived back home from the funeral when his solicitor Stephen Thomas rang saying the company had agreed to cover the bill as a gesture of goodwill and without prejudice'.

The solicitor said that the company had read the Western Telegraph story.

"It seemed that Inter Group was concerned that its name had been used in the article," said Esme.

Marilyn added: "I just cried when I heard. It was wonderful news. John is a changed man. It's as if a huge weight has been lifted off his shoulders. The company had tried all ways to wriggle out of this. It seems as if the Western Telegraph has really made a difference."

But John added: "I just feel so disappointed that my wife has died thinking we were up to our eyeballs in debt. The timing was so abysmal."

The organisers of the appeal fund said there were a lot of people to thank for their hard work including solicitor Stephen Thomas, MP Stephen Crabb and AM Tamsin Dunwoody, the Rotary Clubs in Haverfordwest and Canada, as well as those who held fundraising activities and who gave so generously.

More than £21,000 was raised and if anyone would like to be reimbursed they can contact Marilyn on 01437 890268 and Esme on 01437 890682.

They will be given 28 days to do so and after that the money left will be shared among various cancer and local charities.

John's advice to anyone going on holiday is to read the small print of their insurance cover.

"It would be a tragedy if anyone had to suffer the way Sylvia and John did," said Marilyn and Esme. "But if they do then they should be prepared to fight the insurance companies all the way and not give up."