LAFAYETTE, Ind. (WLFI) – A dream vacation to Cancun, Mexico, has become a nightmare for a local family.
Lafayette resident Dixie Stinson was in Mexico to attend a family wedding when she had a heart attack Monday.
“It’s been awful,” said Stinson’s granddaughter, Brittany Daugherty. “The hardest part for me was not being able to be there. I felt helpless.”
It took two surgeries to clear blockages in Stinson’s heart.
She’s recovering, but now faces another challenge.
“They did get her better, but the issue is getting her home,” Daugherty explained.
Daugherty said Stinson’s insurance company will not pay for the thousands of dollars of medical treatment until she returns to the United States.
However, Stinson cannot return home until the bills are paid in full.
“That is a risk you’re taking when you go out of the states,” said Daugherty. “Travelers insurance, purchase it. It may only cover so much, but it will cover something.”
Daugherty said the family has maxed out credit cards and drained all accounts to pay what they can, but it’s still not enough.
“The longer she sits there, the more it adds up,” Daugherty explained. “As of right now, we just know it’s a lot and we don’t have it.”
Stinson’s son-in-law, Dustin Richardson said if the bill is not paid by the time she’s released, her husband, Mo Stinson, could be arrested.
“It’s unheard of,” said Richardson. “It’s just ludicrous, I think.”
Richardson said the family owes more than $50,000 in medical bills.
While they try to scrape together more money, he said they’re pulling through because of each other.
“The whole family is strong, and when they’re together they’re even stronger,” Richardson added. “So I know they’re going to make it through it.”
The family has set up a GoFundMe page to help with medical bills.