Patricia Bunting, 76, remains in hospital in Florida, two weeks after taking poorly during a family holiday to Walt Disney World which she’d spent two years saving for. (Image: SWNS)
The family of a British grandmother who has been left in a critical condition after contracting on a dream holiday to Walt Disney World, a trip more than two years in the making, have updated her troubling status. Patricia Bunting, 76, is currently hospitalised in Florida, still fighting the virus two weeks after falling ill during her holiday.
The Wigan native has been bed-bound since catching and is too afraid to be intubated out of fear she may not wake up again. The family, now gripped by worry, have started a fundraising campaign to pay for soaring medical expenses, successfully gathering over £27,000 towards their £80,000 goal.
Emma, Patricia’s worried daughter, flew to America to be with her mother and shared: “She’s still heavily reliant on oxygen, she’s had two blood transfusions and is currently battling her second bout of pneumonia.”
Adding further details about her mother’s health struggles, she mentioned, “She’s on morphine for pain relief, it’s hard for my mum as she already has COPD and arterial fibrillation plus contracting and influenza, she’s not a well lady at all.”
Mother of four and widow Patricia took the heartfelt decision to travel without insurance, which was priced prohibitively high at £3,000 due to her existing conditions of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and atrial fibrillation (AF), fearing that this might be her final opportunity to visit her ‘happy place’ given her advanced age and frail health,
Patricia Bunting (Image: Emma Bunting / SWNS)
After being found unconscious in the bathroom, she was rushed to Orlando’s Dr P Phillips Hospital where she spent five days in intensive care. She had previously complained of feeling exhausted on November 23 before her condition worsened.
Now, she is fighting for her life in a critical care unit after being diagnosed with and pneumonia. Her family members, including her sons and grandson, were forced to return home on their scheduled flight on November 28 due to financial constraints.
Emma revealed that the British Embassy in Miami could offer little assistance, only enquiring about their plans to settle the medical bills. The hospital provided some relief by offering low-cost accommodation, but with average healthcare spending per person in the US standing at $12,555 (£9,800) in 2022, according to analysts, the costs are still daunting.
Emma has set up a fundraising page, stating that the donations will be used to pay for a specialised air ambulance to safely transport her mother back home under medical supervision. The funds will also help cover the escalating medical bills which are “building every day she’s an inpatient”.
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In a recent update on social media, Emma shared: “She is still facing significant health challenges. She is battling a second bout of bacterial pneumonia, for which she is being treated with IV antibiotics, has suffered a gastrointestinal bleed (which thankfully she has now recovered from) and also blood clots in her legs.”
“She remains on continuous oxygen as her levels have been fluctuating between 80-90%. We are currently awaiting an update from the hospital regarding the estimated cost of treatment and they are also supporting us with exploring options for her to return home safely.”
“We have independently spoken to a wide-range of medical assisted flight providers, both in the UK and USA, but the lowest quote received is circa £80,000. In an ideal scenario, we are hoping mum’s health starts to improve, and her breathing stabilises, so there are cheaper options to consider.”
“Your support, prayers, and kind messages have meant the world to us during this incredibly difficult time. Knowing that so many people care about my mum has provided comfort and hope for our family.”
Click to donate to the fundraising page.