A Wigan family is desperately trying to bring their sick mum home from Florida after a serious health scare during her holiday
Wigan: A family from Wigan is in a tough spot right now. They’re trying to raise money to bring their seriously ill mum back from Florida after she got sick while on holiday.
Patricia Bunting, who’s 76, has been visiting Florida with her family since the 1980s. She saved up for what was supposed to be a fantastic last holiday. But things took a turn, and now she’s been stuck in the hospital for six weeks.
Because of her health issues, she can’t fly back on a regular flight. They need to get her home on a special flight with medical support, which is going to cost a fortune, like tens of thousands of pounds.
Emma, her daughter, explained that commercial flights only provide a maximum oxygen level of five litres. But her mum needs way more than that right now. So, Emma’s been looking into different companies that can help get her mum back safely.
Emma told the Manchester Evening News, “I love my mum, we all love my mum. It breaks my heart knowing she’s over there. Her grandkids keep asking when grandma is coming home.”
They just want Patricia back home safe and sound. She was hoping to make some happy memories, but now it’s all turned upside down.
Bringing Patricia home on an air ambulance isn’t cheap. Emma mentioned that the lowest quote she’s received is around £80,000, and others are even higher, over £100,000.
Things got really serious when the family had a scare in the hospital. Emma said the doctors were worried because they thought Patricia might be showing signs of sepsis.
At one point, they even considered putting her in a hospice. Emma recalled, “Her foot went black, and they thought she was going to get sepsis.”
Patricia has circulation issues, and Emma needed time to think about the situation. Thankfully, the next day, her mum’s foot started to improve, but she’s still been really unwell.
Emma is determined to raise enough money to get her mum home. She said, “She doesn’t ask for anything. My mum has fought through thick and thin just to make sure her kids have what they need.”
Patricia’s family is still looking for donations and hoping to connect with organizations that can help with her medical repatriation. For more details, check out their GoFundMe page.
