I'm reaching out to our friends and loved ones because my brother-in-law, Steve, was in a bad motorcycle accident last Saturday, May 23rd, and could really use our support. In the almost 20 years I've known Steve, he is always the one giving and doesn't think twice to go out of his way to help those he loves. I know that this could be a huge blessing for him and give him peace of mind these next few months so he can focus on his long road to recovery.

I always thought in an emergency, the socialized system in Costa Rica would step up to the plate and treat people quickly, but this past week I have been shocked and horrified by what he has suffered through. When the ambulance took him to the hospital in Nicoya he had:

They were able to relocate his hip after hours of excruciating pain, but failed to notice it was broken. They knew his femur was completely broken and needed surgery, but refused to do the surgery, trying to wait for INS to take responsibility. They never even bothered to X-ray his broken foot even though he was in pain and it was significantly swollen and bruised.

He pays into his own INS policy that should give him close to $40K of additional coverage, but they immediately denied his coverage. Last night they officially told him INS won't do anything for him and that he needs to wait for the Nicoya hospital and the Caja to do something for him. There are no orthopedic surgeons who can operate for at least a month, so he was told he could wait over a month for his femur to be fixed. The doctor there recommended we get him out of there ASAP. So that is what we did!

He paid an ambulance to take him to Clinica Biblica in Liberia today (private hospital) and they have done the tests he needed and will be doing surgery on his femur tomorrow. They also discovered he has a broken foot requiring surgery (Lisfranc fracture) and a fracture at the head of his femur when it dislocated at impact (hopefully doesn't require surgery). It's been a long day, but I also see him smiling because he is finally in good hands, has some pain meds, and has hope of recovering soon. Private hospitals are amazing here, but they are not free, unfortunately. He is looking at many months of recovery and many medical bills to get him back in one piece.

I've never done a GoFundMe, but I know this will give him such peace of mind and allow him to feel the support and love from all of us who are lucky to know him. I know when many come together we can do big things. I want him to feel that in a time like this, blessings bigger than he can ever imagine are coming his way. That we love him, support him, and that he is not to fight this alone. For now, I'm using my credit cards to pay his hospital expenses so his care is not delayed and he can focus solely on his recovery. Any amount you can give will be a part of this bigger picture for him, so please don't feel pressure to give more than you are able. I know this is life-changing for him, but thankful and counting the blessings: he is alive, he will recover, and he will get to see and experience just how much support he has in all of us. Leave him a message too!

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Mi cuñado, Steve, sufrió un grave accidente en moto el sábado pasado, 23 de mayo, y necesita nuestro apoyo. En los casi 20 años que conozco a Steve, siempre ha sido generoso y no duda en hacer lo posible por ayudar a todos. Sé que esto podría ser una gran bendición para él y darle tranquilidad durante los próximos meses para que pueda concentrarse en su larga recuperación.

Siempre pensé que, en caso de emergencia, INS o la Caja respondería rápidamente y atendería a las personas, pero esta última semana me ha impactado y horrorizado lo que ha sufrido. Cuando la ambulancia lo llevó al hospital de Nicoya, tenía:

Lograron recolocarle la cadera, pero no se percataron de que estaba fracturada. Sabían que tenía el fémur completamente roto y que necesitaba cirugía, pero se negaron a operarlo, esperando a que el INS se hiciera responsable. Ni siquiera se molestaron en radiografiarle el pie fracturado.

Él paga su propia póliza del INS, que debería proporcionarle cobertura adicional, pero se la denegaron de inmediato. Anoche le comunicaron oficialmente que el INS no haría nada por él y que debía esperar a que el hospital de Nicoya y la CAJA lo ayudaran. No hay cirujanos ortopédicos disponibles para operarlo hasta dentro de al menos un mes, así que le dijeron que podría esperar más de un mes para que le arreglaran el fémur. El médico nos recomendó que lo sacáramos de allí cuanto antes. ¡Y eso fue lo que hicimos!

Hoy pagó una ambulancia para que lo llevara a la Clínica Bíblica en Liberia. Allí le hicieron las pruebas necesarias y mañana le operarán el fémur. También descubrieron que tiene una fractura en el pie que requiere cirugía (fractura de Lisfranc) y una fractura en la cabeza del fémur por la dislocación sufrida durante el impacto (esperemos que no requiera cirugía). Ha sido un día largo, pero también lo veo sonriendo porque por fin está en buenas manos, tiene analgésicos y la esperanza de recuperarse pronto.

Nunca he creado una campaña de GoFundMe, pero sé que esto le dará mucha tranquilidad y le permitirá sentir el apoyo y el cariño de todos los que tenemos la suerte de conocerlo. Sé que cuando muchos nos unimos podemos lograr grandes cosas. Quiero que sienta que, en un momento como este, recibirá bendiciones mucho mayores de las que jamás pueda imaginar. Que lo amemos, lo apoyemos y sepa que no tiene que luchar solo. Cualquier cantidad que puedan donar será importante para él, así que no se sientan presionados a dar más de lo que puedan. Si no pueden donar aqui, tambien puede mandar un SINPE a 8928-7383 (o directamente a el si prefiere). Sé que esto le cambiará la vida, pero estoy agradecida y valoro mucho lo que tenemos: está vivo, se recuperará y podrá ver y experimentar cuánto apoyo recibe de todos nosotros. ¡Tambien agradecemos sus oraciones!