British Grandma Stuck in Florida Hospital After Contracting COVID-19 During Disney World Vacation

Mar. 15, 2025

Vacant hospital bed in room with flowers and IV bag.Photo:Getty

Getty

A British grandmother is stuck at a Florida hospital after testing positive for COVID-19 while on vacation in the United States.

Patricia Bunting, 76, was visiting Disney World in Orlando with family when she came down with the virus, according toThe Manchester Evening NewsandTampa Bay Times.

The British woman, whose health had recently been declining, was hospitalized at Health Dr. P. Phillips Hospital on Nov. 23 after she was found passed out in a bathroom.

Now, her children are trying to bring her home. More than £35,000 (about $44,000) has been raised through aGoFundMe campaignstarted about a week after Bunting was hospitalized.

Family members said Bunting, who has three sons and two grandsons, “is the heart of our family.” The funds raised through GoFundMe will go toward a specialized air ambulance and medical bill relief.

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Emma told the paper that her mother has also had pneumonia while in the hospital, and is “scared of passing away in a U.S. hospital far from her family.”

In an update, Emma said the air ambulance would cost £130,000 (about $163,000). The lowest quote they have received for a medically-assisted flight is about £80,000 (about $100,000).

As of Saturday, Dec. 14, Bunting “is battling a second bout of bacterial pneumonia,” according to her daughter. She has experienced a gastrointestinal bleed and blood clots in her legs while at the hospital, and “remains on continuous oxygen.”

Emma said the family hopes “to have a plan solidified early next week.”

“Your support, prayers, and kind messages have meant the world to us during this incredibly difficult time,” the daughter wrote on GoFundMe. “Knowing that so many people care about my mum has provided comfort and hope for our family.”

source: people.com