Stranded couple: Help us get home

Tuesday, December 18, 2018

By RIEL MAJOR

AN American couple is currently stranded in The Bahamas without passports and no funds to return back to Kentucky after missing their return cruise due to a medical emergency.

Rose Johnson and Michelle Manuel, who are married, were gifted a cruise by friends to the country last weekend.

They said the only documentation needed to board the cruise was a birth certificate so the two don’t have passports in their possession.

Their vacation was on the right track until “Rose became deathly sick and was transferred to the infirmary on the ship where they gave her fluids and three different medications, which didn’t help over the course of two hours,” said Dillion Ray Roberts, who created a GoFundMe page for the couple.

According to the GoFundMe page, Ms Johnson was transferred to a local hospital and was reportedly turned away due to a lack of funds and insurance. The disabled women reportedly lives on a fixed income and has insurance – Medicare – that only covers medical costs inside the United States.

Ms Johnson then was transferred to another hospital and was admitted. Doctors would not clear Ms Johnson and unfortunately the cruise line, protecting the health of other passengers, banned Ms Johnson from the ship.

Mr Roberts wrote: “Rose has an obstructed bowel and will need surgery. They informed us that she would need $750 cash or Western Union, which we couldn’t do because we are in the middle of the ocean. (The price) went higher up and (they) went ahead to do the scan because they said it was an emergency.

“They informed us that they’re at over $2,000 in medical bills (not including the CT scan) already and they haven’t even performed her surgery! Their insurance won’t pay because they’re out of the United States... this isn’t what we hoped for.”

Mr Roberts said they thought they would be able to get Ms Johnson home for the surgery in the United States but her condition worsened.

“We are in contact with US Embassy but Rose is still admitted to the hospital…Not sure of anything else yet,” Mr Roberts wrote.

According to WKYT, a news station based in Kentucky, Ms Manuel described the situation as “overwhelming.”

“I just keep telling everybody, ‘we didn’t plan for this. We didn’t plan for this to happen,’” Ms Manuel told WKYT via video chat from the hospital on Sunday.

The two are seeking the public’s help to raise funds to assist with existing medical bills and travel cost back to Kentucky.

The GoFundMe page, https://www.gofundme.com/help-us-get-home-stranded-in-foreign-country, raised more than $3,400 up to press time.

Comments

joeblow says...

Not our problem. Go to the US embassy. They are here to help their citizens!
Call your friends and relatives back home.

(This is probably a ploy to claim discrimination by Bahamian immigration officials because of the same sex 'marriage' anyway)

Posted 18 December 2018, 9:35 a.m. Suggest removal

rawbonrbahamian says...

Thats too mean. Bahamians are constantly getting free emergency and non emergency medical treatment in the United States. they even treat bahamian pregnant women for free and let them have their babies for free in the hospital's over here. Comment is very ungodly very unfair and very unwise.

Posted 18 December 2018, 5:32 p.m. Suggest removal

...but not untrue!!
The rest of your comments are subjective and conflate unrelated issues and is consequently easily discarded!!

Posted 19 December 2018, 11:50 a.m. Suggest removal

TalRussell says...

Not surprisingly the reporter conveniently didn't bother to reveal name cruise company and its ship's name - nor name private hospital turing them away. Still, the two comrades being in a same sex marriage - should have nothing to do with being welcomed our shores and being rendered emergency medical care and assistance. Pretty damn sad when a cruise company simply dumps two paying passengers at dockside and sets sails without a care to their well-being and returning safely back good ole' USA.

Posted 18 December 2018, 9:53 a.m. Suggest removal

OMG says...

Doctors hospital turns away anybody who cannot pay be they foreign or Bahamian, however when will Americans realize that in this day and age a passport is a necessity to travel safely.

Posted 18 December 2018, 11:25 a.m. Suggest removal

DDK says...

Where is the bloody one per cent who has created this terrible situation (by which I mean exorbitant cost of medical treatment and drugs)?? STEP UP TO THE PLATE OH GREEDY ONES.

Posted 18 December 2018, 11:46 a.m. Suggest removal

Ma comrade OMG, correctly points out the absence discrimination other than one in need medical care's ability advance proof sprungs forth payment for medical care being requested.... their upfront proof ability pay payment rules - also does applies the aged and young too.

Posted 18 December 2018, 12:31 p.m. Suggest removal

sealice says...

Really proves how USEless the USembassy is...... Maybe they should ask the BCC for assistance they are always bragging about how many people they think they help??

Posted 18 December 2018, 1:15 p.m. Suggest removal

sheeprunner12 says...

Indeed ......... Last time we had a US ambassador was during GW time ....... That says it all about how they view us now ........ Is there a Chinese ambassador in that fortress on East Bay??????

Posted 18 December 2018, 2:50 p.m. Suggest removal

THAT'S THE FORTUNE COOKIE FACTORY FOR ALL THEIR RESTAURANTS....

Posted 19 December 2018, 12:20 p.m. Suggest removal

Get used it. We're colony islands docked to our neighbor the USA. We can't just wake up one morning and unhitch we selves..... And, why in name Joseph, the father Jesus, would we wanna to dat when one (1) out ever 5436 tourists you will spot - does possess american citizenship or residency.

Posted 18 December 2018, 5:59 p.m. Suggest removal

BMW says...

Wow, I thought we were a christian nation. WHAT A JOKE!! I guess only on sundays. LOL

Posted 19 December 2018, 7:26 a.m. Suggest removal

TheMadHatter says...

https://www.gofundme.com/help-us-get-ho…

Posted 19 December 2018, 8:53 a.m. Suggest removal

Well_mudda_take_sic says...

The owners of The Tribune should step up to the plate and pay for Rose and Michelle to return home. LMAO

Posted 19 December 2018, 10:37 a.m. Suggest removal

Yep .......... Tribune peeps seem to be "rainbow-friendly" ............ LMAO

Posted 19 December 2018, 4:36 p.m. Suggest removal

Yep I guess I am rainbow friendly, just being human I guess. I am not homophobic like the rest of you people. What many of you need to is look within your own country and open your eyes. I feel for the Bahamas as a country when it is full of immoral activity from top to bottom.

Posted 21 December 2018, 8:39 a.m. Suggest removal