- Grace Bradley has saved enough money to travel to Italy in June
- She then suffered a stroke and is still in hospital in Venice
A shop assistant’s dream vacation to Italy turned into a $200,000 nightmare after she suffered a stroke abroad.
Grace Bradley has been paraplegic since she was 13, but has become more independent in recent years.
She had saved enough money from her job as a cashier at the local supermarket to travel to Italy in June.
It was the first time in her life that she had the chance to travel.
But while abroad, Bradley suffered a stroke and remains hospitalized in Venice as her family tries to raise enough money to fly her back to the United States.
Grace Bradley was born with Vodder syndrome, a condition in which the normal flow of lymph is disrupted
She is now stuck in a hospital in Venice after suffering a stroke during her dream vacation
“We need her home,” said her grandfather, Tony Bradley, told WYFF.
“She’s not well, and she won’t get better until she comes home.”
Bradley was born with Vodder syndrome, a condition in which the normal flow of lymph is disrupted.
At the age of 13, she became paralyzed and has been in a wheelchair ever since, “battling countless illnesses, countless surgeries and the loss of her most valuable asset to her own work: her voice.” according to an online fundraiser.
She eventually got a job as a cashier at the local Publix and now wants to enjoy life to the fullest.
“The only thing we can really help her with sometimes is a little bit of transportation here and there, but she doesn’t mind calling an Uber,” her grandfather explained.
Still, the family was concerned about her planned trip.
Her grandfather said the family tried to convince Grace not to go on the trip, but she wanted to be independent.
“We tried our best to stop her from going, but we don’t want to stop her because that wouldn’t be healthy,” the grandfather said through his tears.
“She wanted to be independent, just like everyone else.”
But on June 26, the family was told she had suffered a stroke and her grandmother Juli took the first plane she could find to Italy to be with her.
More than a week later, Bradley was still in the hospital.
She is unable to fly commercially in her current condition. According to doctors, she is stable, but she can no longer use the left side of her upper body or sit up on her own.
“When she goes home, she needs to be accompanied by a doctor,” Bradley said.
“So my wife contacted the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the embassy in Italy directly.”
Doctors say she is stable, but she can no longer use the left side of her upper body or sit up on her own.
If her condition does not improve, International SOS in Philadelphia estimates an emergency home visit could cost up to $195,000.
And because the medical emergency occurred abroad, her Medicaid does not cover any costs.
Her family has since an online fundraiser to help with medical expenses and the costs of bringing her back to the United States.
As of Tuesday morning, more than $48,000 had been raised.