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Cook County Urges Airlift for Transplant Patient Trapped in Jamaica Without Anti-Rejection Drugs

Leaders report flights halted after Hurricane Melissa, leaving no local source for the immunosuppressant she requires.

Overview

  • Trinette Britt-Johnson, 58, the chief of staff to Rich Township Supervisor Calvin Jordan, is stranded in Montego Bay after the Category 5 storm.
  • Officials say she has been without her post-transplant medication for roughly 40 hours, with medical experts warning of a critical 48-hour window to prevent organ rejection.
  • Multiple Jamaican hospitals have been unable to provide the specific drug, and experts note such transplants are rarely performed on the island.
  • Cook County leaders are publicly appealing to President Donald Trump to authorize an evacuation, with plans to fly her to Florida for immediate care.
  • Officials say the U.S. State Department is aware of the case, and her employer reports she had tried to depart since Saturday but flights were not operating.