Woman's dream vacation in Italy turns into $200k nightmare - and she's still stuck in a Venice hospital
- Grace Bradley saved up enough money to travel to Italy in June
- She then suffered a stroke, and is still stuck in a Venice hospital
A retail worker's dream vacation to Italy has turned into a $200,000 nightmare after she suffered a stroke while overseas.
Grace Bradley has been a paraplegic since the age of 13, but has become more independent over the past few years.
She saved up enough money from her job as a cashier at the local supermarket to travel to Italy in June.
It was her first opportunity to travel in her entire life.
But while overseas, Bradley suffered a stroke - and is still stuck in a Venice hospital as her family struggles to raise enough money to transport her back to the United States.
Grace Bradley was born with Vodder syndrome - a condition in which there is impairment to normal lymphatic flow
She is now stuck in a Venice hospital after suffering a stroke while on her dream vacation
'We need her home,' her grandfather, Tony Bradley, told WYFF.
'She's not doing well, and she's not going to get better until she comes home.'
Bradley was born with Vodder syndrome - a condition in which there is impairment to normal lymphatic flow.
She became a paraplegic at the age of 13, and has been in a wheelchair ever since, 'battling numerous illnesses, countless surgeries and the loss of her most valuable asset to her own advocation: her voice,' according to an online fundraiser.
She was ultimately able to get a job as a cashier at the local Publix and is passionate about getting on with life as best she can.
'The only thing that we really have to help with her sometimes is a little transportation here and there, but she doesn't mind calling an Uber,' her grandfather explained.
Still, the family was worried about her planned trip.
Her grandfather said the family tried to talk Grace out of going on the trip, but wanted her to be independent
'We tried our hardest to talk her out of going, but at the same time, we don't want to hold her back either because that wouldn't be healthy,' the grandfather said, between tears.
'She wanted to be independent, like anybody else.'
But on June 26, the family got news that she had a stroke and her grandmother Juli took the first flight she could find to Italy to be by her side.
More than one week later, Bradley remained in the hospital.
She cannot fly commercial in her current condition, as doctors say she is stable but can no longer use the left side of her upper body or sit up on her own.
'When she goes home, it has to be medivac must be accompanied by a doctor,' Bradley said.
'So my wife has been in contact with the State Department and the embassy in Italy directly.'
Doctors say she stable but can no longer use the left side of her upper body or sit up on her own
If her condition does not improve, the International SOS out of Philadelphia has estimated a medivac home could cost up to $195,000.
And because the medical emergency happened in a foreign country, her Medicaid will not cover any of the expenses.
Her family has since created an online fundraiser to help with the medical expenses and the costs of getting her back to the United States.
As of Tuesday morning, it had raised over $48,000.
