Woman dies after suffering stroke during first-ever trip out of the country

VENICE, Italy — A woman who spent years battling several illnesses decided to take her life into her own hands and travel the world.

Grace Bradley, of Greer, South Carolina, was paraplegic for most of her life, according to her family, battled illnesses, had countless surgeries and lost the use of her voice.

She recently took advantage of her first-ever opportunity to travel out of the country and went to Italy.

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“She was so excited to experience the beauty and culture of this beautiful world outside of her own,” her family wrote in an online fundraiser.

While there, Bradley suffered a severe stroke and was hospitalized in Venice.

Her grandmother took the first flight she could to be by Bradley’s side.

Before her death, doctors and the U.S. Embassy told the Bradley family it could cost as much as $195,000 to get her back home due to her condition, according to the family. Because she had the stroke in a foreign country, Medicaid would not cover any of the cost.

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Unfortunately, on Wednesday, Bradley’s family updated their online fundraiser to say Bradley had passed away while still in Italy.

“We know in our hearts that Grace passed with the knowledge of how deeply she was loved by so many, far and wide,” they wrote.

They are working to raise money to help get her body back home, which will still take thousands of dollars.

You can donate to the family’s fundraiser here.

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