HANOVER COUNTY, Va. (WRIC) — Central Virginia newlyweds were put to the test a week after saying, ‘I do.’
Derek and Skylar Martin tied the knot on June 8, in a wedding they say was “perfect.” But they had no idea what was to come.
“Seeing my best friend coming down the aisle really calmed me down and let me know I’m marrying the right one,” D. Martin said.
Despite seeing two reports of visitors becoming sick in the Dominican Republic, the couple decided to honeymoon on the island.
The couple booked their stay at the Hard Rock Hotel in Punta Cana. The Martin’s say they were assured the hotel was safe.
“The Hard Rock is pretty Americanized,” D. Martin said. “We felt pretty safe going down there.”
The Martins arrived Friday afternoon on June 14. After exploring the resort Saturday, Skylar said she became extremely ill.
Skylar told WAVY sister station WRIC 8News that by midnight she was in the bathroom vomiting violently every 15 to 20 minutes. She said she had a high fever and chills for about six hours.
“It was really scary, really scary,” Skylar said. “I was kind of in and out of consciousness for those hours too. I would kind of wake up to get sick.”
Skylar’s condition kept getting worse. The couple decided to visit a nearby hospital. She was administered fluids and her vitals were taken.
“They did a blood, blood analysis, a fecal and a urine,” Skylar said. “They came back with you have this bacterial blood infection.”
She was prescribed six medications and is still waiting on a final test result to determine why she became ill.
“That’s what sort of made our decision to come home,” Derek said. “The couldn’t give us any answers as to was it food, alcohol, pools?”
The newlyweds now advise others to think twice before they travel to the island.
“You know you have that mentality that it’s not going to happen to you and it did,” Skylar said. “It was really terrifying and we’re glad to be back.”
The Martin’s say the Hard Rock Hotel paid for the hospital bill, medicine, their remaining four nights stay and flight change.
