Trinette Britt-Johnson, a 58-year-old woman from Chicago’s south suburbs, finds herself in a dire situation, stuck in Jamaica without the critical medication she needs following a kidney transplant. Britt-Johnson was vacationing in Montego Bay when Hurricane Melissa struck the island, effectively stranding her and leaving her without access to the essential drugs that prevent her body from rejecting the donated organ.
Concerned officials back home, including Cook County Commissioner Dr. Kisha McCaskill, have expressed urgency in the matter, highlighting a life-or-death scenario for Britt-Johnson. "It is absolutely a life-or-death situation. We are in a crisis," McCaskill said in a statement obtained by CBS News Chicago. It has been reported that Britt-Johnson has been without her medication for approximately 40 hours, critically compromising her health.
Britt-Johnson, who serves as the chief of staff to Rich Township Supervisor Calvin Jordan, had received clearance to travel after her transplant operation in 2024. Her medical situation is compounded by the fact that Jamaican hospitals seldom perform these types of transplants, and therefore often lack the resources and medication needed by transplant patients, as noted by medical experts.
Efforts to get assistance from the federal government have been initiated, with calls made directly to President Trump. "My appeal has been directly to Donald Trump; to President Trump. This is not a Democratic or Republican situation. We're talking about a young African American woman," McCaskill pleaded, according to an interview by CBS Chicago. Britt-Johnson reportedly attempted to leave Jamaica prior to the escalation of her medical crisis but was unable to do so.
While Britt-Johnson has sought help at three different hospitals on the island, none have been able to provide the specific medication she requires. The urgency of her situation is accentuated by the warnings from medical professionals like Jackie Lynch, former administrator of the Gift of Hope Organ and Tissue Donor Network, who detailed the potential consequences of missing her medication: "There's a very strong chance that the heart will begin to beat harder, trying to compensate; that her urination will slow down, and then the fluid will build up in the body, in the extremes, in the legs, in the arms." The State Department has been made aware of Britt-Johnson's predicament, with local officials emphasizing the importance of swift action.
