Free trip to Barbados turned to holiday from hell for British couple
A couple embarked on their long-awaited vacation to a Caribbean island, only to be confronted with an unexpected medical expense of over £3,000 and an arduous eight-hour wait in a foreign A&E.
Two travel influencers based in the UK were invited to Barbados for what they believed would be an all-expenses-paid trip. However, Bartek, the boyfriend, fell severely ill and had to spend the night before his birthday in the hospital, resulting in a substantial bill.
Bea Martinho, a travel influencer who goes by the handle @kybetravel on TikTok, and her partner Bartek, a food influencer known as @letsmunch, were flown to the picturesque island on a PR excursion to commemorate his birthday.
Bea enthusiastically exclaimed, “I indulged in not just one, but two green drinks as I am currently embracing a healthy lifestyle.” Subsequently, she added, “We bid farewell to the rainy streets of London and embarked on a flight.”
Upon reaching their destination, they were welcomed with a remarkably potent rum punch, which Bea described as the strongest she had ever tasted. Furthermore, they were escorted to a spacious room that surpassed the size of her London apartment, providing them with the perfect setting for a tranquil vacation.
However, complications arose when Bartek, who was soon to celebrate his birthday, experienced severe abdominal pain, leading to his hospitalization after Pepto Bismol failed to provide relief.
Addressing her substantial following of 36,000 individuals, she shared, “At this point, our trip took a turn for the worse as Bartek began experiencing intense stomach pains that we attempted to alleviate but ultimately resulted in a hospital visit.”
In a subsequent video, Bea detailed their sleepless night and subsequent visit to the nearest medical clinic at eight o’clock in the morning, where medical professionals conducted blood tests, incurring a cost of £200.
Unfortunately, the situation escalated when the clinic’s doctor suspected Bartek may be suffering from appendicitis, prompting an immediate transfer to urgent care at 9:30am.
“At this point, we incurred an expense of £650 for a CT scan, which not only confirmed the presence of appendicitis but also revealed kidney stones and a hip fracture. Subsequently, we were transferred to the Accident and Emergency department at Queen Elizabeth Hospital at 11am, where we endured an eight-hour wait to be seen.”
The influencer added, “During our wait, the hospital staff kindly distributed goodie bags to everyone, which was a thoughtful gesture. However, Bartek was unable to consume any food or drink, so I took the liberty of enjoying his juice box.”
Regrettably, the prolonged and agonizing wait resulted in significant expenses, with Bartek’s surgery and overnight stay amounting to a staggering £2,642.
Despite the challenging experience, the travel vlogger expressed admiration for the Barbadian healthcare system, where the nursing staff went above and beyond by serenading Bea when she discovered that the hospital cafeteria was closed and even took her to a nearby chicken shop. Following his surgery, Bartek was promptly returned to his room, precisely two hours before his 27th birthday.
During the fourth day of their public relations trip, while Bartek was in the post-operative recovery phase, his girlfriend Bea humorously remarked that the nurses ensured he knew he was their favorite, suspecting some flirtation occurred whenever she left the room. To unwind after the harrowing ordeal, the couple indulged in an extended shower and celebrated Bartek’s birthday with a Japanese meal, but exhaustion set in, causing them to retire early at 8 pm.
