A teenage girl from Argentina slipped into a coma on her trip to the Dominican Republic, with doctors saying she may have a life-threatening diabetic condition.
The New York Post reported that Candela Saccone, 15, was scheduled to leave Punta Cana on June 19, but she reportedly came down with the diabetic-like illness— even though family members say she has no history of diabetes— the morning of her expected departure date.
Saccone’s mother, Natalia Knetch, said her daughter got sick the night before their expected departure after she allegedly lost her appetite and had an extremely sore throat.
Knetch later added that when her daughter began displaying symptoms of dizziness, vomiting, and dehydration, she took her to a local medical center. Once there, doctors diagnosed her with diabetic ketoacidosis.
Diabetic ketoacidosis is a complication of diabetes that occurs when the body “can’t produce enough insulin,” according to a fact sheet from the Mayo Clinic.
Officials reportedly transported Saccone from the hospital in Punta Cana to General Hospital of the Plaza de la Salud in Santo Domingo — because Argentine officials said she could not get adequate treatment at the facility in Punta Cana. It is unclear when the teen slipped into the coma, but she remained unconscious as of Tuesday.
The Dominican Minister of Health visited with her family, telling CNN she was receiving care at a “high-quality hospital center.”
At least 11 people have died in the Dominican Republic after getting sick at resort-like areas over the past year, and dozens more have remained ill.