British grandmother left stranded after Covid infection finally brought home

A British grandmother who was stuck in an Orlando hospital for 57 days with Covid-19 after taking her grandchildren to Walt Disney World is finally back on her home soil.

Patricia Bunting flew to England on Sunday on a commercial flight accompanied by two intensive care trained nurses. It ends a nightmarish trip to Florida that began on Nov. 23 when Bunting, 76, collapsed in his hotel room.

She was diagnosed with Covid-19 and spent five days in the intensive care unit at Orlando Health Dr. P. Phillips Hospital. Complications from a pre-existing breathing condition meant she remained critical for several weeks and her hospital building was swamped.

But because she was traveling without health insurance, her family couldn’t afford the specialized medical care she needed to get home to a place where she could be cared for freely.

An online fundraising campaign started by his daughter Emma Bunting has raised about $50,000 and attracted donors from the United States and the United Kingdom. Orlando Health agreed to pay the balance of the costs to return Bunting to his family, Emma Bunting said.

Sky Nurse, a Boca Raton medical transportation company, was hired and provided two nurses, Tammy Gennaro and Kevin McMorran. He also paid the airfare for Paul Bunting, who stayed with his mother during her hospital stay.

Emma Bunting said she felt very safe with her mother at home with her family. This was a journey that would not have been possible without the generosity of approximately 1,700 fundraisers. She offered them a “massive and heartfelt thank you” and praised Orlando Health for its help and care for her mother.

“I know money is tough for everyone,” she told the Tampa Bay Times. “There are so many kind people who have donated to my mother.”

Citing patient confidentiality rules, Orlando health officials declined to comment on the details of the incident.

“Orlando Health’s top priority is to provide quality, compassionate care to all of our patients,” said spokeswoman Lisa Maria Garza. “When it comes to our patients’ financial health, we choose to offer support, offer options, and work together to find solutions. We operate in one of the world’s busiest tourist destinations. Recognizing this, we will consider the financial assistance needs of international patients where appropriate.

Bunting’s visit to Disney World, which she called her “happy place,” was intended to be her last trip with her grandchildren. She had previously visited the United States 20 times and always purchased travel insurance. However, her health was failing and she relied on walkers to get around. She couldn’t afford the $3,000 she was quoted for insurance.

Her plight has been covered in numerous British media outlets as a cautionary tale about how the cost of healthcare in the US financially destroys tourists who travel without insurance and experience medical emergencies. I did.

Emma Bunting said she doesn’t yet know the full extent of her mother’s medical bills, but all of the money in the fundraiser went toward the cost of flying her mother home. The campaign’s webpage indicates it is no longer accepting new donations. The family would like to start a payment plan to help cover costs.

Getting Bunting home was a logistical challenge, said Tara Rose Naccarelli, president of patient services at Sky Nurses.

The company had to talk to hospitals in the UK, already plagued by flu outbreaks, to find someone willing to admit Banting. They also received help from Orlando Health’s medical team in finding doctors willing to accept patients in the UK.

Getting home wasn’t easy. Bunting was transferred by ambulance from Orlando to Miami International Airport, then flown on a Tap Portugal flight via Lisbon, and then to London. The airline was chosen because it provides stretcher services for patients. The stretcher was placed near the back of the plane with a curtain for privacy.

The final leg of the journey was a three-hour journey by ambulance to the Royal Albert Edward Hospital in Wigan, which is in north-west England and close to Bunting’s home and her family.

Bunting was still hospitalized as of Wednesday due to concerns about her oxygen intake levels, her daughter said. After being confined to bed for so long, she will need extensive physical therapy to be able to walk well enough to be discharged from the hospital.

“She’s grateful to have her whole family around her now,” Emma Bunting said.