Woman with sickle cell disease evicted from home whilst in coma - and came out of intensive care to find all of her possessions gone
- 4 months ago
A woman with sickle cell disease was evicted from her home whilst in a coma - and came out of intensive care to find all of her possessions had gone.
Juliet Iswan, 43, was in Bristol Royal Infirmary hospital from February 2023 after suffering from a stroke which took her into coma.
She remained in the ICU until just two weeks ago in January 2024 - but Juliet is now staying in social housing - with nothing but a hospital bed and hospital gowns.
Juliet was in a coma for five weeks.
Before being rushed into hospital, Juliet had a home at the emergency housing accommodation Connolly & Callaghan, in Bristol - where she had been living for eight years.
But whilst Juliet was in a coma, all of her belongings - including £300 in cash, her passport, irreplaceable family jewellery as well as other possessions - were either sold or disposed of - and she can not find any record of them.
Juliet, who was born in Uganda but has been living in Bristol since 2005, said: "I was told when I came out of a coma that I had been evicted from my home and all my things were gone.
"The most important things I cannot even put a monetary value on - necklaces, earrings, every gift I ever got from my parents was in that box - my Mum, my Grandma - and it's all apparently gone.
"I've lost all my clothes, shoes still in boxes - I loved to walk everyday come rain come shine, I would walk but now I have nothing.
"I don't even know where my passport is.
"I'm now in a cold house with just a hospital bed and that is it - how can you discharge someone to this life?
"From a coma to this - it's freezing cold - this is no way to live. I have nothing!
"Between the council and Connolly & Callaghan, no one is taking responsibility for my stuff.
"If I had left the flat to go to Glastonbury or something - I would understand, but they knew I was in the hospital literally unconscious."
Juliet was born with sickle cell disease - a serious and lifelong health condition, which causes chronic pain, fatigue and other serious health problems, such as infection, acute chest syndrome and stroke - and there is no cure.
Juliet explains how the disease means she goes to sleep in pain, "with a traffic jam of cells in your body which hinders the movement of blood in your body", often leaving her 'feeling like she's counting down the days of her life.'
After suffering a severe stroke in 2009 - her life dramatically changed, as Juliet became physically disabled and had to have multiple hip replacements - as well as other surgeries.
Since then, Juliet recalls being in and out of hospital - but was left in the BRI for 10 months when she suffered from a stroke.
Juliet then went into a coma, brought about by Cerebral edema - swelling of the brain - in February 2023.
She said: "When I was in hospital I was living in temporary accommodation - a one bedroom flat in a Stokes Croft house with Connolly & Callaghan.
Juliet Iswan, 43, was in Bristol Royal Infirmary hospital from February 2023 after suffering from a stroke which took her into coma.
She remained in the ICU until just two weeks ago in January 2024 - but Juliet is now staying in social housing - with nothing but a hospital bed and hospital gowns.
Juliet was in a coma for five weeks.
Before being rushed into hospital, Juliet had a home at the emergency housing accommodation Connolly & Callaghan, in Bristol - where she had been living for eight years.
But whilst Juliet was in a coma, all of her belongings - including £300 in cash, her passport, irreplaceable family jewellery as well as other possessions - were either sold or disposed of - and she can not find any record of them.
Juliet, who was born in Uganda but has been living in Bristol since 2005, said: "I was told when I came out of a coma that I had been evicted from my home and all my things were gone.
"The most important things I cannot even put a monetary value on - necklaces, earrings, every gift I ever got from my parents was in that box - my Mum, my Grandma - and it's all apparently gone.
"I've lost all my clothes, shoes still in boxes - I loved to walk everyday come rain come shine, I would walk but now I have nothing.
"I don't even know where my passport is.
"I'm now in a cold house with just a hospital bed and that is it - how can you discharge someone to this life?
"From a coma to this - it's freezing cold - this is no way to live. I have nothing!
"Between the council and Connolly & Callaghan, no one is taking responsibility for my stuff.
"If I had left the flat to go to Glastonbury or something - I would understand, but they knew I was in the hospital literally unconscious."
Juliet was born with sickle cell disease - a serious and lifelong health condition, which causes chronic pain, fatigue and other serious health problems, such as infection, acute chest syndrome and stroke - and there is no cure.
Juliet explains how the disease means she goes to sleep in pain, "with a traffic jam of cells in your body which hinders the movement of blood in your body", often leaving her 'feeling like she's counting down the days of her life.'
After suffering a severe stroke in 2009 - her life dramatically changed, as Juliet became physically disabled and had to have multiple hip replacements - as well as other surgeries.
Since then, Juliet recalls being in and out of hospital - but was left in the BRI for 10 months when she suffered from a stroke.
Juliet then went into a coma, brought about by Cerebral edema - swelling of the brain - in February 2023.
She said: "When I was in hospital I was living in temporary accommodation - a one bedroom flat in a Stokes Croft house with Connolly & Callaghan.