On 07/06/2024, Steven and I set out on a Carnival Cruise for vacation. It was a normal trip like any other until Wednesday, July 10, 2024, when we had the worst night of our lives. Around 6pm, Steven went to the bathroom and each time he went, he started losing massive amounts of blood in the toilet. It turned out that he had a GI Bleed. Usually, we would head straight to the ER with something like this; however, we were 12 hours from any nearby land and in the middle of the ocean. When it first started, we thought it would stop, so we waited a little while. Five bathroom trips later though, around 11pm, it got worse. Steven told me, “Hey, I think it might be time to call the medical team. Also, I’m about to pass out.”

I (Julie) immediately ran to him in the bathroom and propped him up because he had turned completely ghostly white. I dialed the medical 911 button and called for help to our room. The Carnival medical team came and got Steven and got all his IV lines set up and started him on fluids and clotting medicines. They were able to somewhat keep him stable between 12AM-4AM but because we were at sea, they don’t keep blood there due to strict laws with blood transfusions. At this point though, Steven was close to half his original blood volume. Around 5 AM, they told me that he had started to crash and they had us sign papers to announce the need for blood donors because he was going to die without it. Luckily his parents were there and were able to donate and they gave him his first blood transfusion. We then had to decide whether to be life flighted back to the USA or if we wanted to seek local medical care. The doctors said at this point he wouldn’t be able to survive a life flight because he was so unstable blood volume wise, and it would likely exacerbate his condition if we tried to fly. We ultimately had to go to Schneider Regional Medical Center in St Thomas, USVI.

Once we got to SRMC, we went to the ER and they started testing. He got a CT Angiogram and they determined he did in fact have a GI Bleed. They then said he would need another blood transfusion and that he would be admitted to the ICU there. We then had to get a colonoscopy, at which point they found he had an inverted diverticulum that had ulcerated and was bleeding. They cauterized it and injected the site around it with epinephrine to help it stop bleeding. He was able to start a clear liquid diet the next day and work up to normal food. His blood levels were still low though, because of how much blood he had lost before getting it fixed, so he had to get a third blood transfusion.

The next day he was able to start walking and his blood levels were to about 60% of his normal levels and they were able to discharge us. We had to obtain a hotel on the island and arrange airfare home because the cruise ship was long gone.

The situation we found ourselves in, while if it had happened in the US, would have been less dangerous and easily fixable - turned into a perfect storm of dangerous timing and scary consequences of being without complete medical care.

The medical charges we accrued on the boat totaled about $4,000 and we can only assume about the same if not more for his care at the hospital in St. Thomas as we are waiting for his medical records and the bill. He is having to take a little unpaid time off work due to his blood levels still being low and being rundown.

We are asking for help to avoid the financial burden that comes with medical emergencies like these. We unfortunately didn’t have travel insurance as we were traveling with family and didn’t book the trip ourselves. Anything helps us and we appreciate your love and support. All funds received will go to the medical bills, paying back money for airfare, hotels, and unpaid time off work for Steven and I. Thank you so much if you read this far and we really appreciate you all.