Couple stranded in the Bahamas after illness during cruise
A couple's dream vacation turned into a nightmare after they got stuck in the Bahamas because one of them got sick on a cruise.
Michelle Manuel and her wife Rose Johnson are from Kentucky and live on a fixed income.
Generous friends paid for their cruise tickets.
But now, Rose is in the hospital with a gastrointestinal illness. The women are on Medicare, which doesn't cover costs outside the US.
And because the cruise ship only required a birth certificate to travel, the women don't have passports with them to get back home.
"They wanted me to give them $2,000 cash or else they weren't even going to see her at all," said Michelle. "I just keep telling everybody, 'we didn't plan for this, we didn't plan for this to happen.'"
Friends are helping the couple cover medical bills. They have a GoFundMe page to raise money for the trip home.
Manuel plans to go to the US Embassy for help in hopes they can make it home before Christmas.
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