A family of five traveled from Liverpool, England, to Cancun, Mexico, on vacation, and their trip ended up a disaster. Partners Natasha Sargeant and Liam Millen were enjoying their dream vacation and preparing to travel from Cancun to Tulum, Mexico, with their three children when their toddler suddenly collapsed on the floor. Shortly afterward, she started vomiting, and the family rushed the toddler to the hospital.
Speaking to the Liverpool Echo, the mom described the experience as “absolutely horrendous.” When the family arrived at the hospital, they learned their toddler had suffered a brain hemorrhage. The toddler, Sienna-Rose, is 19 months old. Doctors told the family that Sienna-Rose had had a blood clot for months. She underwent a life-saving surgery to have the clot removed.
Being away from home has made the terrifying experience even more stressful for the family. Sargeant told the Echo that they were refused treatment at one hospital, then went to another one that didn’t have a working CT machine. They were only able to get treatment for their toddler when they found a third hospital to visit.
The mom told the newspaper that the hospital doesn’t have air conditioning and only allows one family member to visit at a time. Additionally, the language barrier has created even more stress for the couple, because they don’t speak Spanish and many of the medical professionals they’ve interacted with don’t speak English.
“I don’t have any words to describe what we have been through – it’s been absolutely horrific,” the mom told the newspaper.
The experience has also been traumatic for Sienna-Rose’s siblings, Harry, 13, and Liam, 11. On a GoFundMe page, Sargeant’s sister-in-law explained that the mother has had to go to local pharmacies to get medication for her daughter as the hospital is “either out or running low.” The sister-in-law, Amy McFadden, noted that Sienna-Rose’s “surgery thankfully went well and she is now stable and recovering.”
A number of details remain unclear, however. At the time of posting, McFadden said the family still didn’t know when they’d be able to fly home or how long it would take the toddler to recover. Additionally, the family doesn’t know whether Sienna-Rose will have lasting brain damage. She described the experience as a “living nightmare.”
In an update shared on March 10, 2025, McFadden said the family is working to arrange an air ambulance to take their daughter home.
