Gatineau woman stuck in Greece with sudden illness
Mélanie Bergeron Mc Andrew diagnosed with rare neurological disease days after 35th birthday
A Gatineau woman who went to Greece for a martial arts convention is now unable to come home after being diagnosed with Guillain-Barré Syndrome, a rare neurological disorder.
Mélanie Bergeron Mc Andrew and her karate classmates from the Masson-Angers region wanted to take a cruise to the Greek islands after the World Kobudo Federation's World Martial Arts Convention in Athens.
Her health began to deteriorate after the event, but the situation was not yet alarming.
"With [the visit to] the Acropolis, plus the time change, plus the three-day training, it's normal that we're all a bit tired," Bergeron Mc Andrew's karate instructor, Mike Leclair, told Radio-Canada in French.
While on the cruise ship for her 35th birthday last Wednesday, the pain took over to such an extent that she had to travel in a wheelchair.
The ship's doctor had to give her painkillers.
Immune system condition
The next day, Bergeron Mc Andrew went to a hospital on the island of Rhodes for a more complete diagnosis.
Doctors said she has Guillain-Barré Syndrome, a condition that causes the immune system to attack the peripheral nerves of the body.
The cause is unknown and there is no cure, though treatment can help with symptoms such as severe pain and difficulty breathing or walking.
"She was forbidden to go back on the cruise ship because it was not good for her health … She was taken to Rhodes because her lungs are affected and she can't fly," Leclair said.
Her mother flew to Athens on Sunday to be at her daughter's bedside, according to Bergeron Mc Andrew's friend Grace Sills.
Not only does her mother, Lucie Bergeron, have trouble communicating with her daughter , but also with the medical staff because of the language barrier.
Sills said her condition in hospital has not improved and she is in serious pain.
Campaign for Mélanie
Sills launched a GoFundMe campaign online to raise funds for Bergeron Mc Andrew's mother to be with her in Greece.
"It's hard not be there but I raise money. That's the best I can do. For sure, if the situation is getting worse I'm going to take the first flight and I'm going to be there," Sill said Sunday.
"I know Mélanie. She's a really strong woman."
As of Sunday afternoon, the campaign had raised more than $12,000.
With files from Estelle Côté-Sroka