An elderly American woman suffered a stroke while on Norwegian Cruise Line’s excursion to an African island, leaving six Americans and two Australians stranded and unable to find their way back to the United States, according to her family. He said he felt “isolated” and “powerless.”
Julie Lenkov, 80, began experiencing vision and memory loss last week while on a cruise-sponsored tour of Sao Tome Island. According to W.P.D.E.
“Things like that happen, it’s not their fault, we understand that,” says her son-in-law, Kurt Giese. told KTVU About my mother-in-law’s medical emergency.
“It’s how you treat that person, how you take care of that person, and how you take care of that person is what they failed to do.”
Cruise ship personnel examined Lenkov on board and he was taken to a local hospital where he was treated for a stroke. She was released 24 hours later, at which point she was left to fend for herself, the Gieses said.
During this time, the cruise ship never contacted him or his wife, and they did not answer their calls, even though they were listed as emergency contacts. Giese said on Facebook.
The crew also returned her passport and belongings, but said her cash and credit cards were missing.
In a statement to the Post, a Norwegian Cruise Line spokesperson said Lenkov was evaluated by the ship’s medical team on March 27 and was allowed to disembark for “further testing and treatment” by local doctors. “I decided it was the best thing to do,” he said. hospital.
“After she disembarked, our care team immediately sprang into action to support our guest,” the spokesperson said.
“We attempted to call the guest several times but were unable to reach him, so we worked directly with the port agent in the African island nation of Sao Tome and Principe to obtain updated information about the guest.
“In these cases, as the guest has been discharged from the hospital and is in normal condition, our protocol is to inform the guest that we do not have the authority to share medical details with anyone without the guest’s explicit consent. Please contact me directly.”
Fortunately, Lenkov met Jay and Jill Campbell from South Carolina. They, too, say they were left stranded on a Norwegian cruise ship with four other Americans and two Australians after their visit to Sao Tome was delayed and the ship set sail without them.
Footage obtained by KUTV showed the couple escorting Lenkov through the streets of the Central African island.
They then contacted Geese in San Francisco and were able to help coordinate flights from Africa to Lisbon, Portugal, and from Portugal back to the United States.
“We air-tagged our daughter…so she knew where she was,” Jill Campbell told WPDE.
Lenkov finally arrived in California on Sunday and is currently recuperating at Stanford University Medical Center in Palo Alto before returning to his son-in-law’s home in Eugene, Oregon. he wrote on Facebook.
“She was a soldier and when she saw us she smiled and successfully completed the 30-hour flight,” he wrote.
“What a wonderful Easter gift!!!”
The Gieses said they are grateful to have their mother back now as she continues to recover in the hospital.
“It’s really hard to go through what she felt so helpless and alone, but she did it,” said her daughter Lana Wilken-Gies.
Now, Giese said he wants Norwegian to bring the Campbells and the rest of the crew back to the ship.
“We truly feel they saved Julia’s life,” he wrote on Facebook.
“No one should be treated like this, especially [by] “The company paid almost $20,000 for the cruise,” he added.
