Ryan Wynne, 25, flew to the States last summer for a three week holiday but is still there more than a year later because concerned doctors refuse to let him fly.

A Brit has been stranded in the US for over a YEAR after he was banned from flying home because of his uncontrollable panic attacks.

Ryan Wynne, 25, flew to the States last summer for a three week holiday but is still there more than a year later with concerned doctors refusing to let him fly.

Former sales assistant Ryan, 25, is now in thousands of dollars of debt and has lost his job at WHSmith, a UK stationery chain.

Ryan, from Whitchurch, Shropshire, said: 'I thought I was coming for a summer holiday - I had no idea I would be away from my home, friends and family for over year.

'My medical bills now come to $15,000. I've lost my job. I just want to go home.

'I am worried that I might die if I get on a plane. I get panic attacks around big groups of people and if I had one on a plane, I might not get the medical attention I need.

'My heart races when I'm in the grip of an attack. I just couldn't take the risk.'

Ryan, who has a heart murmur, flew to Havertown, Pennsylvania, on 15 June 2017 to see friends.

Former sales assistant Ryan, 25, is now in thousands of dollars of debt and has lost his job at WHSmith, a UK stationery chain

What are panic attacks, and what causes them? A panic attack takes place when the body experiences a rush of intense psychological and physical symptoms. These can make people feel an overwhelming sense of fear, along with nausea, sweating, trembling and a sensation of a irregular heartbeat. Some people with the condition of panic disorder may have one or two attacks each month, while others can have several a week. Possible causes including traumatic life experiences, neurotransmitters, genetic links, increased sensitivity to carbon dioxide or catastrophic thinking. The NHS advises a panic attack can be 'very frightening and intense, but it is not dangerous'. Doctors say it is not possible to die from a panic attack alone. But there have been examples of panic attacks exacerbating another condition that can be fatal, with one previous incident in the US in 2010. Then, Danielle Goldberg, 26, got stuck in a lift in New York, and suffered a panic attack that made her heart beat so wildly that it went into cardiac arrest. She lost consciousness and died in hospital - but already had a congenital heart condition, meaning it was not the panic attack itself that killed her. NHS medics also say panic attacks should not cause people any physical harm and it is unlikely that they will be admitted to hospital if they have had one. Ryan's anxiety and proneness to panic attacks increases his chance of suffering a real heart attack. On planes there is an increased risk in cardiac problems posed by being confined to a high-altitude environment where there is lower oxygen. Patients can experience difficulties including shortness of breath, lightheadedness and chest pain caused by reduced blood flow. Advertisement

He said: 'Everything went normally and I was having a lovely summer holiday.

'Then on 30 June I went to the Franklin Institute, a science museum in Philadelphia, with my friend's daughter, Samantha.'

As crowds surged in the tourist hotspot, for a moment Ryan lost sight of Samantha. The shock triggered a terrifying panic attack.

He said: 'All I could think was: If I don't find her daughter, my friend is going to kill me. My body went into shock. I was struggling to breathe.

'The next thing I knew I was in an ambulance going to Bryn Mawr Hospital, Pennsylvania.

'My heart was racing at 168 beats per minute. Healthy adults usually have a heart rate of between 60 to 100.

'After six hours in hospital, I was discharged but I was put on a no-fly list. I was fine for a couple of days but then I had a similar panic attack and I ended up in ER.

'Thank goodness I had travel insurance. I was discharged again and prescribed Valium and Ritalin but 24 hours later I was back in ER.'

This pattern continued and Ryan was told he was still not well enough for the eight-hour flight back to the UK, booked for 4 July 2017.

He said: 'They said it was too dangerous. A pilot can't exactly turn the plane around halfway over the Atlantic.'

Mr Wynne says he had a panic attack and doctors now advise him against flying. US immigration authorities say he can remain in the US because of his medical condition

Ryan told his mum Vicky, 47, that he couldn't come home and she was shocked but told him not to worry.

He claims his bosses at WH Smith were not so understanding and demanded specific medical notes that US doctors couldn't provide.

Ryan contacted the UK embassy in New York for help. He says officials told him that he couldn't fly if doctors advised against it.

He contacted US immigration and was informed that he would not be deported as long as he had medical notes explaining his stay in the US.

In February, Ryan was let go from his position at WHSmith and said that he is now struggling with debt.

He said: 'To this date, my medical bills are about $15,000.

'My travel insurer Union Reiseversicherung stopped paying after October so I've had to use all my savings to pay them out. This has ruined my life.

'I've been staying with my friend Abby ever since June last year. In just 12 months, I've lost 40 pounds.

'I am so frail that Abby had to get me a walker - the kind of thing elderly people use to help them walk.

'She has to come in with me when I shower because I'm too weak to wash myself.

'I'm bedridden and anything can trigger my anxiety. I have to take valium every day and there is not a day that goes by without a panic attack.

'My doctor is refusing to let me fly until I see a psychiatrist.

'I miss my friends and family. It's been incredibly emotional. When Christmas came and I was still in the US, I felt so low.

'At times I've questioned why I'm even still alive.

'I just want to get home and be with my family and hear English accents and eat fish and chips again.'

A spokesperson for Union Reiseversicherung said: 'Due to data protection restrictions, we are unable to release specific details surrounding this case.

'However, in response to your concerns please be advised that we have at no stage refused liability and can confirm that our medical team are working hard to ensure he receives the best medical outcome as a priority.

'We are comfortable that this has not been compromised at any stage.'

A spokesperson for WH Smith said: 'We would never comment on a staff member whether current or former.