UPDATE: Morgan and Nick made it home safely! They flew from Paris to Dublin to Toronto and have made it back home to the US. They are incredibly grateful for all of the support they’ve received and appreciative of the warm thoughts and prayers. A HUGE thank you to the staffers from the offices of Senator Chuck Schumer and Congressman Brian Higgins who remained in constant contact with Morgan and Nick!
Welcome Home!!!!!
It’s a nightmare.
Morgan Connolly and Nick Brink are on what they’d hoped would be an amazing honeymoon.
It’s been anything but.
They left Toronto on March 9th and finally arrived in France on the 11th after their flight was turned around after 4 hours of flying due to an emergency of some sort. “Everything was very normal the first few days,” Morgan told me via text message. “No one seemed panicked, and no one wore masks. The only thing different was the museum – The Louvre closed before we got to Paris. We never considered not going, but we knew to be more cautious than normal.”
But, as we all know, things changed very quickly. They were set to leave yesterday on a flight to Boston, but Delta cancelled the flight without reason and never rescheduled. They still have what was their original return flight on the 18th to Toronto but they aren’t sure – particularly with Canadian border changes – if that will happen.
It’s been an incredibly difficult time for this couple – now stuck in Paris. They’ve had to switch hotels three times now due to closings. They’re frustrated and scared but trying to keep their spirits up … they’ve dubbed this their “coronamoon”.
“Our hotel closed, restaurants closed, there is scarce food, and we haven’t the slightest clue how to speak French beyond the basics.”
Still, they are doing their best to stay level-headed and just go with the flow. They’ve called the American Embassy in Paris – but it is closed and they were redirected to America. Morgan says her husband spoke with them but didn’t get any help at all. They were told they would have to wait until the lockdown in France is over, with no other answers. With hotels closing – it’s getting more serious by the moment.
Being out of the country during these difficult and challenging times is a lot to deal with.
“We are staying as calm and as positive as we can since panicking will not make it any better! We are not scared of the coronavirus, but we are scared of not being able to make it home.”
They newlyweds are both healthy and are not experiencing any symptoms of illness. They are homesick for their Tonawanda home though and miss their dogs!
They did spend some time in their first few days doing tourist things – like visiting the Eiffel Tower and other museums and restaurants.
To put all of this in perspective – let me tell you for a moment about Morgan and why this trip meant so much.
Morgan has stage 4 Endometriosis and severe Adenomyosis. She’s had five surgeries from the time she was 18-21 years old to help get some sort of quality of life back. The pain she endured deterred her from going back to school, hanging out with friends, or doing anything a woman in her early 20’s should be doing. Just a few months ago, at just 21-years-old, Morgan had a hysterectomy. It was a difficult decision but she was supported by Nick and her family.
She’s finally healthy and pain-free and was hoping this would be the trip of a lifetime – a trip she’s waiting years for. Instead, it’s been a stress-filled week and it’s not over yet. They just want to come home.
That seems easier said than done. They have a flight booked for Wednesday but hold little hope it will not be canceled. Morgan says the airlines are very difficult to deal with right now. “I would like to add that the airlines are not being helpful, and are practically unable to reach via phone.”
We have has reached out to Congressman Higgins and his staff. They have contacted me and are working to help Nick and Morgan and will coordinate with Senator Schumer’s office.
We will continue to stay in touch with this wonderful couple and let you know when they are home safe and sound.
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