Alison Phillips from Whitefield, Bury, went to the Caribbean with friends on November 2 to celebrate her 60th birthday. Soon after arriving, more than 4,000 miles from home, she started to feel unwell.
Ms Phillips, a mother of two who had travel insurance for the trip, went to see a doctor for what appeared to be a chest infection. She was given antibiotics and went back to her hotel, according to her daughter Abi, who is pregnant. Only three days later, on November 6, her condition got much worse. She was rushed to the hospital with septic shock, the most serious stage of sepsis, and a severe case of pneumonia.
Doctors put Alison, who is a grandmother, on a ventilator and into a medically induced coma with sedatives. She was still in this condition weeks later. Her friends tried to continue their holiday and have now returned home, but Alison’s family was urgently raising more money for her care, which they say is not fully covered by insurance.
In an interview with the Manchester Evening News, Abi said: “She was very excited about the trip, which she took with friends to celebrate her birthday. Initially, she called me to say she was feeling unwell and had seen a doctor in Barbados, who prescribed antibiotics.
At that time, I joked, ‘Don’t complain to me from Barbados while I am here in the rain.’ Later, I got another call from her friend, who is a midwife, and I became worried because she realised something was wrong.”
“Just a few days later, she was rushed to A&E at the QEH with sudden pneumonia. The infection took over, and she went into septic shock. They put her on a ventilator, sedated her and admitted her to the hospital.
Septic shock is a critical condition occurring when an infection causes a patient’s blood pressure to fall dangerously low. Advanced pneumonia is a severe stage of the disease in which the lungs cannot adequately oxygenate the blood, threatening the function of vital organs.
Abi said her brother went to Barbados to be with Alison. The family raise money to help pay for Alison’s care, since the total costs are still unclear and depend on what the insurance will cover.
Abi said Alison’s medical bills keep going up as she needs more treatment in the Barbados hospital. The family also learned that getting an air ambulance to bring her home would cost more than £100,000.
Abi said the family remained hopeful, and doctors have started to slowly lower Alison’s oxygen and sedation because she has shown some signs of getting better.
“We want to close that gap because the costs are so high, it’s thousands,” Abi added. ” She’s just a normal person. We don’t have tens of thousands lying around at our fingertips.
“The costs are two-fold. Just to get my brother over there and staying in the most basic accommodation is thousands, and he has a young family himself.
“The picture is so big, it’s a huge situation, and we never thought we’d be dealing with this. It’s so hard to navigate, especially with the time difference. I spend all day on the phone dealing with the logistics and doctors, and Barbados is five hours behind us.
“My mind is constantly going, but we are trying so hard to hold on to the fact that she’s fighting back and that she will pull through and recover. She now has to jump through hurdles, but we are looking at the positives from having these conversations.
It’s been so overwhelming, and I’m taken aback by the support. This could happen to anyone; my mum just got poorly in the wrong place.”
In the GoFundMe description, she wrote: “Alison is not only a devoted NHS midwife—having dedicated more than 30 years to caring for mothers, babies, and families with compassion and strength—but also a cherished mother, sister, grandmother, and friend. She has supported countless people through some of the most important moments of their lives. Now, she urgently needs that same love and support in return.
“This story and fundraiser are being shared by Alison’s daughter and next of kin, Abi, on her behalf. Alison’s travel insurance covers a substantial part of the medical costs and specialist transport needed to bring her home safely, but unfortunately, not the full amount.
“Any contribution, no matter how small, was deeply appreciated as the family worked to bring Alison home, where she could continue her treatment surrounded by her loved ones. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for your support, compassion, and prayers during this incredibly difficult time.”
