A photo of Denise Hammond from a GoFundMe page.Photo:Go Fund Me
Go Fund Me
The family of a 64-year-old woman is awaiting her safe return home after she injured herself during a cruise and was left stranded for nearly a week at a hospital in Indonesia for treatment.
Denise Hammond, of Tappahannock, Virginia, was sailing on a Carnival cruise ship in the Pacific Ocean on Oct. 4, when she slipped and fell, injuring her arm and hip,USA Todayreported.
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However, Matthews toldUSA Todaythat her mother claimed the Indonesian hospital was “out of date.” She also alleged that Hammond received minimal care at the hospital.
Carnival Cruise shared a statement with PEOPLE on Thursday that “Carnival Luminosa’s medical staff cared for the guest while on board and helped to coordinate further treatment with the guest’s insurance providers."
“Our CareTeam members have been in regular contact with the guest and her family, and we are pleased that the guest’s insurance, which we always encourage guests to have in case of emergencies, will help organize her return home,” the statement continued.
As a result, Matthews established aGoFundMeto help offset the costs of Hammond getting transported safely. “We are terrified that she will die while being denied access to safe and appropriate medical care,” Matthews wrote in the fundraiser description.
“My mom had done everything right,” Matthews toldUSA Today. “She had great travel insurance that was supposed to cover all of this. Still, even so, we faced so many hurdles just to get her the care that she needs.”
Fortunately, good news arrived for Hammond’s family. In a series of GoFundMe updates, Matthews said that her mother arrived in Bangkok on Oct. 13 where she is scheduled to have surgery. “The doctors expect her to spend about one week recovering in-patient,” Matthews wrote on Oct. 16, “and then another week recovering out-patient in Bangkok before she is ready to fly home. Please continue to pray for positive outcomes and a smooth recovery! Thanks again to everyone!”
PEOPLE reached out to Matthews for additional comment.
source: people.com
