Virginia

Cruise ship fall left Virginia woman fearing ‘she was going to die’ in foreign hospital, daughter says

Published

1 year ago

October 15, 2023

Cruise ship fall left Virginia woman fearing ‘she was going to die’ in foreign hospital, daughter says

After taking a fall on a cruise ship and sustaining fractures to her hip and elbow, a 64-year-old Virginia woman spent nine days “stranded” in an Indonesian hospital whose staff admitted it was unequipped to treat her injuries, her daughter said.

Carnival Cruise staff aboard the Luminosa determined that Denise Hammond would need surgical intervention beyond its capacity after taking X-rays onboard Oct. 4, her daughter, Rachel Matthews, told Fox News Digital.

Four days later, Hammond was transported to the Siloam Hospital in Manado.

There, her daughter said, it became apparent her nightmare was far from over.

SKELETONS FROM 1918 FLU PANDEMIC REVEAL CLUES ABOUT THOSE MOST LIKELY TO DIE, STUDY FINDS

Denise Hammond, 64, is pictured at a stop on her Carnival cruise before falling and fracturing her hip and elbow Oct. 4. (Rachel Matthews)

Initially, Matthews said, her family was disappointed Hammond’s long-awaited cruise was cut short. The month-long Carnival cruise began in Seattle and was scheduled to stop at “a bunch of ports in Asia and the Pacific,” eventually ending in Australia.

Thus far, Matthews said, her mother had visited six ports in Japan, and the ship was on its way to Indonesia when she fell.

“I mean, it’s been terrifying. When she first fell, at first we were just like, ‘Oh, man, that’s awful.’ But we didn’t ever think she’d have trouble getting the medical care that she needs,” Matthews lamented.

NAKED AUSTRALIAN SOLO ROWER RESCUED ATOP CAPSIZED VESSEL AFTER HOURS ADRIFT IN PACIFIC: ‘LIFE OR DEATH’

Although Hammond was given a solo “VIP room” at the hospital, Matthews said, “the hospital conditions were just really atrocious in terms of cleanliness … nothing you’d expect from a hospital room in America or other parts of the world.”

There, a doctor told her the hospital didn’t have the equipment to treat her fractured bones. The medical professional “yanked” on Hammond’s arm, her daughter claimed, and “tried to get her to walk on the leg.”

Hammond is pictured at a port in Japan. She had disembarked six times on the month-long cruise before sustaining her injury, her daughter said. (Rachel Matthews)

“They weren’t doing any scans or blood tests, giving any kind of anticoagulants. … We were concerned she was going to die in that hospital,” Matthews said. “Every time I talked to her, she was terrified. She said she felt alone, abandoned. She was afraid she was going to die [there] and never get out. It was just really scary.”

Siloam Hospital could not immediately be reached for comment.

SEARCH SUSPENDED FOR MISSING CARNIVAL CRUISE PASSENGER OFF FLORIDA COAST

Although Hammond frequently goes on cruises and always buys travel insurance, Matthews said, she began hitting dead ends in her efforts to get a medical evacuation.

The family began working with the U.S. embassy, which began linking them with transport companies to haul Hammond to the nearest hospital that could treat her. The closest such center, the family was told, was nearly 4,000 miles away in Bangkok, Thailand.

Matthews said her mother felt “alone [and] abandoned,” and was “afraid she was going to die and never get out” of the hospital in Manado. (Rachel Matthews)

The first transport company charged $60,000 to get Hammond there, Matthews said, while the hospital needed a $40,000 down payment before she arrived. Neither payment covered Hammond’s entire procedure.

“We were so desperate to get her out of there, and the insurance company wasn’t helping,” Matthews said.

Orthopedic surgeons who had worked with 64-year-old Hammond before in Virginia helped the family draft letters to their insurance company, which the family declined to name, citing their ongoing negotiation, urging it to expedite assistance.

A Virginia congressman even sent a letter to the company on Hammond’s behalf, urging it to assist the injured woman, Matthews said.

“She’s looking at much more intensive surgery than she would nine days ago if she had gotten surgery when she should have,” Matthews said. “Those injuries are healing back incorrectly.”

As of Wednesday, after national news caught wind of Hammond’s story, her insurance company is assisting with transportation costs. But her family expects her medical expenses to exceed her insurance cap and must contend with costs incurred transporting her luggage back to the U.S., data charges and “just all those additional costs associated with being stranded in a foreign country,” Matthews said.

Hammond finally arrived at a Bangkok hospital equipped to treat her on Friday, her daughter told Fox News Digital. (Rachel Matthews)

On Friday, Hammond arrived at Samitivej Srinakarin Hospital for her initial evaluation, Matthews said.

“My mom’s body has faced incredible stress and life-threatening danger due to this long and unacceptable delay in medical treatment,” Matthews wrote in an update on the family’s GoFundMe page, which had raised nearly $30,000 as of Friday afternoon. “We won’t know until she is further evaluated what kind of increased damage has been caused by this negligence, and how it will affect her quality of life in the long-term. Please pray that this damage is minimal.”

CLICK TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

Carnival, whose press office could not be immediately reached, told USA Today it has been in regular contact with Hammond and her family and is “pleased” she is nearing her return trip home.

Matthews said Hammond is “not sure if she’ll continue to travel like she has before.”

Source link

Virginia

VIDEO: UVA Football Players Preview the Virginia Tech Game

Published

2 hours ago

November 27, 2024

Press Room

VIDEO: UVA Football Players Preview the Virginia Tech Game

With the game of year looming this weekend, members of the Virginia football team were made available to to the media after practice on Tuesday morning to talk about the regular season finale against Virginia Tech in the Commonwealth Clash on Saturday night in Blacksburg. Watch the video below to hear what UVA senior safety Jonas Sanker, graduate tight ends Tyler Neville and Sackett Wood Jr., and graduate defensive tackle Jahmeer Carter had to say ahead of the Virginia Tech game:

Sanker is the team’s leader in tackles with 89 total tackles and also leads the ACC in solo stops with 60 unassisted tackles. He has racked up 8.5 tackles for loss, two sacks, four pass breakups, two fumble recoveries, and an interception as part of a strong senior campaign that should earn Sanker some serious consideration for a First-Team All-ACC selection.

A transfer from Harvard, Tyler Neville is Virginia’s second-leading receiver with 35 catches for 387 yards and two touchdowns. Sackett Wood Jr., meanwhile, has recorded three receptions for 18 yards and a touchdown this season. Between the two of them, Neville and Wood have combined to appear in 83 college football games and make 48 starts.

Saturday will be the 55th game in the five-year career of Jahmeer Carter, who has started nearly every game for the last four seasons at Virginia. This season, Carter has 30 total tackles, including nine solo stops, two tackles for loss, one sack, and a pass defender. For his career, Carter is up to 131 total tackles, 2.5 sacks, and 7.5 tackles for loss.

Saturday night will be the first time Virginia plays at Lane Stadium in front of fans since the 2018 season, as the 2020 edition of the Commonwealth Clash was played in front of only 250 fans due to COVID-19 restrictions and then the 2022 Virginia vs. Virginia Tech game was canceled due to the shooting tragedy at UVA.

Virginia is seeking its first road victory at Virginia Tech since 1998, as the Hokies have won the last 11 Commonwealth Clash games played at Lane Stadium. Virginia Tech has won 17 of the last 18 overall games against Virginia and leads UVA 61-38-5 in the all-time series that dates back to 1895.

Both Virginia and Virginia Tech bring a 5-6 overall record into the regular season finale and both need to win the game in order to reach the six-win threshold required for bowl eligibility. There is only one other game this weekend between FBS teams who are battling for bowl eligibility (Eastern Michigan vs. Western Michigan). Virginia and Virginia Tech played each other for bowl eligibility at the end of the 2014 season.

UVA Football: Players to Watch in Virginia vs. Virginia Tech

UVA Football Week 14 Injury Report: Kobe Pace, Kempton Shine, Trell Harris

Virginia Football Depth Chart vs. Virginia Tech | Takeaways, Analysis

Virginia Football Opens as Touchdown Underdogs at Virginia Tech

UVA Football Report Card: Handing Out Grades for Virginia vs. SMU

Source link

Virginia

Virginia Lottery Mega Millions, Pick 3 Night results for Nov. 26, 2024

Published

9 hours ago

November 27, 2024

Press Room

The Virginia Lottery offers multiple draw games for those aiming to win big. Here’s a look at Nov. 26, 2024, results for each game:

Mega Millions

Mega Millions drawings take place every week on Tuesday and Friday at 11 p.m.

05-22-24-39-42, Mega Ball: 03, Megaplier: 3

Check Mega Millions payouts and previous drawings here.

Pick 3

DAY drawing at 1:59 p.m. NIGHT drawing at 11 p.m. each day.

Night: 7-3-0, FB: 2

Day: 7-2-1, FB: 5

Check Pick 3 payouts and previous drawings here.

Pick 4

DAY drawing at 1:59 p.m. NIGHT drawing at 11 p.m. each day.

Night: 1-6-6-8, FB: 5

Day: 7-4-5-8, FB: 4

Check Pick 4 payouts and previous drawings here.

Pick 5

DAY drawing at 1:59 p.m. NIGHT drawing at 11 p.m. each day.

Night: 0-5-4-9-9, FB: 2

Day: 6-9-5-3-2, FB: 0

Check Pick 5 payouts and previous drawings here.

Cash4Life

Drawing everyday at 9 p.m.

04-11-13-30-39, Cash Ball: 02

Check Cash4Life payouts and previous drawings here.

Cash Pop

Drawing times: Coffee Break 9 a.m.; Lunch Break 12 p.m.; Rush Hour 5 p.m.; Prime Time 9 p.m.; After Hours 11:59 p.m.

Coffee Break: 04

After Hours: 05

Prime Time: 06

Rush Hour: 09

Lunch Break: 12

Check Cash Pop payouts and previous drawings here.

Cash 5

Drawing every day at 11 p.m.

12-22-31-38-44

Check Cash 5 payouts and previous drawings here.

Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results

This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a Center for Community Journalism (CCJ) editor. You can send feedback using this form.

Source link

Virginia

Virginia Basketball Holds Off Manhattan 74-65 | Key Takeaways

Published

17 hours ago

November 27, 2024

Press Room

Virginia Basketball Holds Off Manhattan 74-65 | Key Takeaways

Virginia (4-2) got back in the win column with a 74-65 victory over Manhattan (3-3) on Tuesday night at John Paul Jones Arena. Here are our five quick takeaways from the Cavaliers’ win over the Jaspers.

Virginia was in serious need of a win after suffering those two humbling losses to Tennessee and St. John’s in The Bahamas. But a convincing and comfortable victory would have been even better and for a while, it seemed like the Cavaliers were on their way to doing just that. UVA led by as many as 15 points in the first half and opened up a 16-point advantage midway through the second half. But rather than putting the game away, Virginia let Manhattan hang around and the visiting Jaspers were in a situation where they were fouling to stop the clock in the final minutes, narrowing the deficit to as little as six points. A win is a win, but this was far from a confidence-boosting performance.

Virginia went with a new starting lineup on Tuesday night, as Andrew Rohde replaced TJ Power. Rohde has been playing very well recently, particularly with his resurgent outside shot, while Power came into this game shooting 25% from beyond the arc this season.

Power initially responded well to the benching, swishing a corner three shortly after he first entered the game, hitting the deck for a loose ball, and coming up with a steal to stop a Manhattan fastbreak. But he wound up playing only six minutes, fewest among Cavaliers who saw the floor in the game. That does not bode well for the Duke transfer.

Read Val’s Plus/Minus breakdown of the game here.

Rohde, on the other hand, had another solid game and was perhaps the top performer for the Hoos on Tuesday night. Though he missed his only three-pointer, which was a desperation off-balanced heave at the end of the shot clock, Rohde finished with a season-high 14 points, two assists (with one turnover), two rebounds, and four steals. Rohde showed excellent feel for the game, getting exactly where he wanted to go and exhibiting some nice touch on a couple of floaters plus a short jumper off the glass. If Rohde is playing like this and his three-point shot continues to be there, this could be a big season for the former St. Thomas transfer.

The main reason why this game continued to be close deep into the second half is because UVA’s defense frequently broke down and gave up open shots to Manhattan, particularly from the perimeter. The Jaspers shot 11/26 (42.3%) from beyond the arc and and seven different players knocked down a three. A couple of those Manhattan triples were well-contested, but the vast majority of them were wide-open. That’s very concerning and shows that this Virginia defense, with its many new faces, is still very much a work in progress.

Virginia’s offense was pretty well neutralized by Tennessee and St. John’s in The Bahamas. Tuesday night against Manhattan was a small step in the right direction, but there’s still a lot of room for improvement.

Let’s start with the good. Five different Cavaliers scored in double figures, including a game-high 18 points from Isaac McKneely, who hit three of his four three-point attempts and went 5/6 from the free throw line. We still think McKneely needs to shoot way more, but we’ll leave that alone for now. Dai Dai Ames scored 10 points and dished out five assists, but fouled out of the game. Blake Buchanan made his first four shots and finished with 11 points and five boards. Cofie made five of his seven shots and finished with 10 points and five boards. The best part of the game was that Virginia had 15 assists on 29 made baskets and turned the ball over only eight times, a vast improvement over the team’s turnover issues in The Bahamas.

Virginia outscored Manhattan 42-22 in the paint. That looks like a good stat, but it’s also an inevitable stat because of UVA’s size advantage over the Jaspers, whose tallest player in the rotation is 6’8″. Still, Manhattan snared 10 offensive rebounds and scored 11 second-chance points. In The Bahamas, UVA was dominated on the glass and was simply outmatched from a physicality and athleticism standpoint. Nothing we saw from the Cavaliers on Tuesday night did anything to alleviate those concerns.

Up next, Virginia remains at home for another (supposed) tune-up game against Holy Cross on Friday at 4pm at John Paul Jones Arena.

Virginia vs. Manhattan Live Updates | NCAA Men’s Basketball

UVA Basketball: Ten Things We Learned About Virginia in The Bahamas

Virginia Basketball Falls to St. John’s 80-55 | Key Takeaways

Source link