A Florida man who suffered injuries while vacationing in Colombia is stuck in the country as hospital officials refuse to release him until they receive payment, according to his family.
Michael Eugene Clark was vacationing with two friends in Medellin, Colombia last month when he suffered severe, third-degree burns at their condo.
“They were out on the balcony, and they had like a gas fire pit or something like that and somehow it exploded,” Clark's sister, Michelle Asbury, told CBS News.
The explosion left one friend dead. Clark was taken to Hospital de San Vincente to be treated for his burns. His family flew out to Colombia to support his recovery.
“He was wrapped like a mummy. He’s wrapped from head to toe because he’s burned from head to toe,” Clark's niece told CBS News. “That first day, his head was pretty swollen. His lips were pretty big. It’s something you wouldn’t wish on your worst enemy.”
Clark's family sought for him to be transferred to a hospital in Miami. However, the Colombian hospital refuses to release him until his bills are fully paid for.
The Florida man doesn't have travel insurance, so his family is forced to pay for the expenses out-of-pocket to get him back to America.
Clark's family created a GoFundMe page to raise money to cover the expenses and move him to Jackson Ryder Trauma Center.
“While we are grateful that Michael has medical insurance, the cost for the care and treatment he urgently requires in Medellin must be covered before he can be released,” the family wrote, calling the situation a "nightmare." “This additional financial burden has created immense stress for his family. As they focus on Michael’s recovery, we believe that our community’s compassion and solidarity will make an incredible difference.”
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