A Waukegan woman is stranded in the Dominican Republic after suffering serious injuries in an accident on vacation, with the hospital requiring upfront payment before they would perform surgery.
Kendy Villa-Lopez said her sister, Daniela, who is a Waukegan resident, went on a vacation in the Dominican Republic with a group of friends on September 18.
The group arrived and went to dinner before renting four-wheelers.
Daniela was a passenger on one of the four-wheelers while a friend drove.
Their four-wheeler hit a rock or object and they fell down a hill, resulting in the four-wheeler landing on Daniela.
Daniela suffered a broken left femur and ankle, Villa-Lopez said. She was transported to a hospital for immediate medical help.
One of Daniela’s friends, Vanessa Trevino, said the woman also suffered a concussion that caused the left side of her body to be numb. “She now has multiple stitches, torn ligaments repaired, and she’s currently in the ICU being monitored closely.”
The hospital required the family to pay for the needed surgery up front before performing the procedure to repair her femur.
Villa-Lopez said her sister is unable to walk and cannot fly back to the United States, leaving her stranded in the third-world country.
The family obtained quotes from seven air medical ambulance companies and the lowest was $35,000, which was not affordable for them.
The family initially came up with $6,000 but the total hospital medical costs were $32,000.
“Thanks to everyone’s efforts, generosity, and kindness – she was able to get the surgery she desperately needed. The surgery was successful and she is on her journey to recovery,” Villa-Lopez said on Sunday.
Villa-Lopez said the goal remains to bring her sister home to the United States.
She cannot leave the country until she continues to heal to avoid blood clots and other complications.
“Everyone who’s involved in her recovery, is working tirelessly to ensure she gets the best care possible,” Villa-Lopez said.
“The hospital bills are overwhelming. They have already charged us thousands of dollars for the emergency care, wound surgery, ICU stay, and imaging. Between hospital costs, surgery, medications, and rehabilitation, the total is far more than her family can afford,” Trevino said.
Trevino created a GoFundMe account which has raised over $6,000 as of Tuesday.