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Published on Wednesday,
January 18, 2023
By the A.M. Costa Rica wire services
A U.S. citizen surnamed Mackey is stuck in a hospital in Costa Rica and remains in a coma after suffering a reaction to anesthesia that caused cardiac arrest, according to a report by the Chronicle Newspaper.
"Her friends and family are now working to raise money to cover mounting medical costs," reads the article.
According to the newspaper, Mackey and her boyfriend, a man surnamed Chambers, recently traveled to San José from the state of Washington so she could undergo dental surgery for rod implants and veneers at a dental clinic there.
She is a 32-year-old Chehalis resident who grew up in the Morton area and chose to travel for the procedures as they were less expensive outside of the U.S.
Chambers said that Mackey had an immediate negative reaction when the anesthesia was applied on Jan. 12 and went into cardiac arrest.
According to Chambers, it took nearly half an hour for emergency responders to restore her heartbeat.
“They were doing CPR the whole time so I don’t know if her brain was without oxygen for that long, but they kept her blood pumping. It was about 25 to 30 minutes before they got her stable,” Chambers said in a phone interview with The Chronicle from San José.
She was transferred to the intensive care unit at the nearby private hospital in Escazu Canton, San José.
There, it was determined that Mackey had suffered at least two strokes along with a collapsed lung. Additionally, her kidneys were failing.
"There was
some positive news, as brain activity
was detected and her pupils were
responding to stimuli despite her
remaining in a coma," according to the
article. "Until Michelle Mackey actually
wakes up, though, doctors won’t know if
brain damage occurred or its extent."
Since the hospital is private, it costs $15,000 per day for her to continue receiving medical treatment there.
The patient's sister has subsequently flown to Costa Rica to join Chambers. They are working with the U.S. Embassy to try to pay for the procedures Mackey still needs in order to be stabilized and transferred to a local state-run hospital where treatment will be much more affordable.
Until her condition improves, she can’t be relocated, her family said.
So far, both Chambers and Mackey's sister have maxed out their credit cards to pay for procedures in the past few days, which included surgery to remove infected tissue caused by an IV in her arm. During that procedure, doctors discovered a small hole in Mackey’s trachea that will also need surgical repair.
As of Tuesday, Jan. 17, both Chambers and Mackey's sister have paid more than $41,000 for medical expenses. They owe another $70,000 so far, including $60,000 to the hospital and $10,000 for specialists.
Mackey’s friends and family have set up a crowdfunding page for her on the GoFundMe website. The campaign had raised more than $34,000 as of Tuesday afternoon. The goal is $100,000.
They are also partnering with various U.S. local businesses throughout Lewis, Thurston and Pierce counties to accept cash donations to help pay for medical treatment.
For those unable to donate, the family asks people to share Mackey’s plight on social media and in prayers.
A benefit auction is also being organized to help raise money for Mackey’s rising medical expenses.
Friends and family are currently working to set up a nonprofit for the auction so donations can be tax deductible.
The Washington, USA-based Chronicle Newspaper is owned by CT Publishing LLC.
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