Family Trying To Return Mother Who Got Sick In Aruba
SOUTH BOSTON (CBS) - It's been an emotional and nerve-wracking couple of weeks for the DeVoe family.
Suzanne DeVoe's parents, Patsy and Richie DeVoe, were vacationing in Aruba for the holidays when her mother fell seriously ill.
"Their phone's not ringing, their calls aren't going through to us," said Suzanne DeVoe. "She is having abdominal issues with blockage and maybe something else. They're not really sure. That's why we want to get her back to United States soil."
Suzanne said her mother had to undergo emergency surgery days after Thanksgiving.
The problem, according to the family, is that the island hospital doesn't accept her mother's health insurance.
And their medical bills are growing each day.
"That bill has now gone up to $20,000," Suzanne DeVoe said.
She has since started an online fundraiser to help pay for her mother's medical bills, and to hopefully get her mother airlifted to Boston, where the family has deep ties.
"They both graduated from Southie High. They're both very active in the South Boston community. My father's a retired Boston Police detective," Suzanne DeVoe said.
Their fundraising goal is $50,000.
The DeVoe family just wants to bring their parents home.
"We just want Mom and Dad home. We want them happy, healthy and in our arms. We just want them home," Suzanne DeVoe said.