A dream sailing trip across the South Pacific took a devastating turn for a Holbrook, Massachusetts family after what seemed to be a minor bug bite developed into a critical medical emergency.
Scott and Claire Winslow had only recently set off on their long-awaited retirement voyage when Scott spotted what looked like a simple insect bite.
According to the family’s GoFundMe page, the couple had spent years putting others first and had long hoped to one day sail with their loved ones.
That plan finally came together in April 2026, when they began what was meant to be the “adventure of a lifetime.” Instead, the trip turned into a medical crisis, with Scott now in a Fiji hospital after suffering severe complications that reportedly left his kidneys failing and him unable to walk.
The fundraiser states that the father-of-three was taken to a local hospital after the family finally reached land, roughly two weeks after he first noticed the bite.
His condition had become so serious that he was moved to the Intensive Care Unit at Lautoka Hospital on Viti Levu. There, he remains in critical condition on a ventilator, suffering from septic shock and organ failure, with the infection having spread to his lungs and gallbladder.
“His kidneys are functioning at only a fraction of their normal capacity, and the infection has spread to his gallbladder and lungs. After being transferred from a private hospital, Claire was faced with every spouse’s worst nightmare and was told to prepare for the worst,” said the GoFundMe page.
The family says the situation is made even harder by the limits of the medical care available and the financial burden they now face overseas.
“Because this crisis occurred in a foreign country and without medical insurance coverage, the medical expenses continue to grow rapidly,” said the fundraiser. “In addition, when Scott is stable enough to travel, he will likely require specialized medical transportation and ongoing care to safely return home and begin what will hopefully be a full recovery.”
Scott’s daughter, Lisa Babbin, told WBZ-TV that getting him back to the US will likely require a medical flight, adding significantly to the cost.
She said: “Every hour counts for my father.”
“All we need is a medflight; that’s the only thing we need to get him home,” Babbin said. “Medflights are not cheap.”
As of June 30, 2026, the family’s fundraiser had raised $23,462 toward a $40,000 goal, though the hospital and evacuation costs are expected to far exceed that amount. The family has also said they applied for an emergency U.S. government loan to help cover the medical evacuation, but they are still waiting to hear whether it will be approved.
Global Rescue says such flights can cost as much as $30,000 depending on distance, while the family has said the total bill to bring Scott back to Boston could climb to around $250,000.