MINNEAPOLIS — A Minneapolis family is still reflecting on how their island getaway in the Caribbean turned into a fight to save their loved one's life.
Marge Cullen is always surrounded by family.
"She retired three years ago, and six months later, her life partner died," said Marge's niece, Felicia Cullen. "And then she got this cancer diagnosis."
Felicia Cullen said her aunt was diagnosed with stage four cancer.
When she got the diagnosis, Marge told Felicia that she wanted to travel. Felica, her son, Alec, and a few other family members were excited to give Marge the vacation of her dreams in Saint Lucia.
"We got there — you can see she was so happy," said Alec.
Excited to leave a Minneapolis February behind, the group spent a long day at the beach. They were ready to go back to their Airbnb and headed to a boat launch.
"I looked back just in time to watch her lose her footing and she started to stumble," said Alec.
He watched as his great-aunt fell several feet onto some rocks below the launch.
"Her head had been split open and there was a lot of blood coming out," said Felicia.
With help from folks on the beach, they managed to get Marge loaded up into their rental car and drove her to a small hospital in the area. They eventually got her to an even larger hospital with the capability to do X-rays.
The staff found she had four broken ribs and a lacerated lung. She spent the next week in and out of hospitals on the island.
"It was apparent that she was bleeding internally," said Felicia. "She was like deteriorating at an extremely rapid pace, where we were going to lose her if we didn't get her some attention immediately."
With limited access to the medical care she needed in Saint Lucia, Marge was eventually airlifted to Miami.
"I wish that she was able to be able to have that trip," said Alec.
Now, she's doing better. Her family is looking forward to surrounding her once again.
"Her health is improving her spirits improving," said Alec. "So that makes me really happy."
Marge just got out of the hospital in Florida and will be there until she feels well enough to travel back home to Minneapolis.
So far, the family has raised $22,000 through a GoFundMe, only about a third of what they need to cover her medical expenses.
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