Amy Winehouse and the coconut vendor she saved in Saint Lucia. In 2009, during a long stay on the Caribbean island of Saint Lucia, Amy Winehouse ran into Julian Jean-Baptiste on the beach, a 45-year-old coconut vendor who earned barely one pound a day. The man was suffering from a severe, life-threatening hernia, with no financial means to pay for the surgery he needed. Amy, without making a public fuss about the gesture, sent her bodyguard with the money to cover the medical expenses, which totaled over 4,000 pounds. Julian underwent surgery on July 1, 2009, and later said that the procedure literally saved his life, something he otherwise would never have been able to afford. After the successful surgery, Amy continued to check on his condition regularly. When he tried to thank her and return the favor in some way, she flatly refused, responding with a simple smile that no thanks were necessary.