Eleven thousand kilometres back home

Vanessa and her family (names changed to protect anonymity) had decided to start the year with a cruise through the Mediterranean. They travelled often and enjoyed it. The paraplegia she had suffered since her last childbirth had never been an obstacle to leaving Peru and discovering new places. However, this time would be different. In the early hours of 2 January, Vanessa suddenly began to experience a series of severe neurological symptoms.

Immediately, Vanessa’s husband contacted Iris Global and alerted them to the situation. His wife had lost mobility in her right arm and part of her mouth. She spoke with great difficulty and rarely uttered coherent sentences. The situation was complex. On top of that, the family was on a ship in the middle of the sea, with no scheduled stop for another two days.

Treatment in Italy

The cruise’s emergency services attended her during the first hours, until the vessel was able to dock in Sardinia, Italy. Once there, an ambulance transferred Vanessa to the Santissima Annunziata Civil Hospital in Sassari. Her husband and two daughters accompanied her.

At the hospital, specialists detected signs compatible with a cerebral haemorrhage. During the first few days, the patient showed slight improvement: she partially regained her speech and began to move her right arm, although with weakness. The medical professionals insisted she needed to remain hospitalised for at least a week to stabilise her condition. Meanwhile, the family faced the language barrier and the stress of dealing with an emergency in a country where they knew no one.

Facilitating the repatriation

Given this situation, Vanessa’s husband contacted the Peruvian Consulate in Rome to facilitate her repatriation. However, it was not advisable to rush the process. The situation was delicate, and the initial medical reports advised against any flight that could put the patient at risk.

On 21 January, nearly three weeks later, Vanessa finally received medical clearance to travel. At that moment, the operations department, together with the provider network team, launched a series of operational measures and coordinated various professionals to guarantee the insured person’s safe repatriation. The challenge was significant: nearly 11,000km separated Sassari from Tarapoto, in Peru.

After several arrangements carried out by the Iris Global travel assistance team, a way was found to bring Vanessa back home. The first step was to secure an air ambulance to transfer the patient from Sardinia to Madrid. There she would spend two nights before boarding a commercial flight that would take her to Lima. Given her condition, it was established that she must travel accompanied by a specialised doctor, with access to medication, oxygen, and the possibility of remaining reclined during the journey.

The journey home

On the morning of 30 January, Vanessa, her husband, their two daughters, and the specialised doctor provided by Iris Global landed in Lima, Peru. A few hours later, a new flight took them to Tarapoto. An ambulance awaited them at the airport to finally take Vanessa home.

Iris Global once again demonstrated the strength of its international provider network. Italy, Spain, and Peru: three countries in which the company coordinated the intervention of multiple accredited professionals, from an air ambulance and several ground ambulances to commercial airlines, and even a doctor who accompanied the patient all the way to her home in Peru.

After weeks of uncertainty and nerves far from home, this was the message Vanessa’s husband sent us: “Thank God, we are home. Vanessa arrived well. A bit tired. Our deepest gratitude for all the attention up to now.”