STT. 74-Year-Old Woman Collapses at Airport, Falls Into Coma and Is Airlifted Home in Critical Condition

GUNTERSVILLE, Alabama — Nearly a year after the horrific events in Italy, 74-year-old Suzan Smith, a resident of Guntersville, remains shaken as she recalls her life-or-death ordeal in a foreign land.

What she had hoped would be a memorable trip to Europe unexpectedly turned into a fight for survival in a foreign country.

According to Suzan’s account, in March 2025 she went on a tour to Italy, while her partner, Mike Clower, stayed in Alabama.

The group visited famous cities such as Rome, Milan, and Florence before preparing to return to the United States.

The incident occurred on March 28, 2025, at Milan Airport, when Ms. Smith was checking in for a Delta Air Lines flight to return home.

She said she felt dizzy while checking in her luggage, then collapsed to the floor and lost consciousness.

Airport and airline staff provided quick assistance, including Laura Voborny Ruiz, head of customer service at Delta in Milan.

Mrs. Smith was taken to the local hospital by ambulance.

However, according to her, the tour group continued on their flight back to the US without any contact with her or her relatives in Alabama.

After the initial medical check-up, Laura Ruiz assisted in taking Mrs. Smith back to her hotel to rest and arranged for her to return to the airport the following morning to complete the procedures for her flight back to the United States.

But the next morning, Mrs. Smith did not show up at the check-in counter as scheduled.

Worried, Mrs. Ruiz returned to the hotel and asked to have her room door opened.

There, they found Mrs. Smith lying unconscious on the floor of the room.

She was rushed to a hospital in Milan in critical condition and required a ventilator.

According to her family, she was in a coma for a week, suffering a head injury and multiple facial injuries suspected to be from a fall in her hotel room.

During her treatment, she had to receive blood transfusions and undergo numerous specialized tests.

The family said that the limited care provided at the hospital significantly deteriorated her physical condition.

Meanwhile, Laura Ruiz continued to support him by booking a flight for Mike Clower to Italy and personally taking him to the hospital to see his wife.

The family also sought assistance from their tour insurance but were unsuccessful.

After that, Mrs. Smith contacted the insurance company in the United States, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Alabama.

The company coordinated with AirMed International in Birmingham to organize a special emergency flight to bring her back home.

A medical crew, including an emergency room doctor from the University of Alabama at Birmingham, flew to Milan to receive the patient.

Ms. Smith was transported onto the plane in a special bed placed in first class.

The flight took her from Milan to Atlanta, and then on to Huntsville, Alabama.

After returning to the United States, Mrs. Smith continued treatment and rehabilitation for several months.

The family said that due to the prolonged period of immobility, she had to learn to walk again from scratch.

From May to September 2025, she will use a wheelchair and a walker before she is able to walk on her own again.

Currently, her health is stable and she is able to live independently.

Last summer, Ms. Smith sent a letter to Delta’s leadership expressing her gratitude to Laura Voborny Ruiz for her support that went beyond her job responsibilities.

A few months later, a film crew from New York made a short documentary about this story.

Suzan Smith said she believes she has been fortunate to have received help from many individuals and organizations throughout that challenging journey.

The family is now planning for 2026 with a more optimistic outlook after the event.

Mrs. Smith’s story is seen as a testament to the timely coordination between airlines, insurance companies, and international medical transport teams in emergency situations overseas.

At the same time, this also serves as a reminder of the importance of travel insurance and emergency assistance in case of incidents outside the country.