DE SOTO, Kan. — A family in De Soto, Kansas, is working to bring their beloved father back home to the United States.
Armando Sanchez is currently recovering at a hospital in Jerez, Mexico, after he suffered a ruptured brain aneurysm.
“I was in shock, I couldn’t believe that he was in the hospital," said Margarita Culbertson, Sanchez's youngest daughter. "Let alone that, like, we couldn’t be there for him."
Culbertson describes her father as “loyal and reliable.”
He worked hard as a custodian with Olathe Public Schools for 15 years, so that on his off days, he can enjoy the life he built back in his home country.
He was back in Mexico for the holidays and was anticipating his trip back home when his health declined.
“He was preparing his luggage and packing with my mom when he started kind of complaining about his arm — that he was kind of feeling something in his arm," Culbertson said. "And next thing you know, my mom said he had collapsed on the floor and was paralyzed."
According to doctors, Sanchez suffered a ruptured brain aneurysm and partial paralysis.
Logistics and funding has been difficult for the family as his insurance does not extend overseas.
“Every procedure, every surgery that is happening is coming out of my mom’s pocket. And they have to pay right then and there,” Culbertson said. “After we can decide okay, he’s medically safe to be transferred, then it’s arranging an air ambulance to be ready to go, transfer him and then just having the funds to be able to make all this happen.”
The family has been doing their own research and making calls in hopes to find additional help.
Culbertson is hoping for any advice from a medical transfer team in the Kansas City area that can reach out to her with tips and resources.
“There might be some out of network benefits that are available to Armando,” said Andrew Culbertson, Margarita Culbertson’s father-in-law. “The deductible is higher, the out of pocket is probably higher and the percent that is being paid is lower but it’s still a plus.”
A GoFundMe page has been set up in the meantime with a goal of $50,000.
The family says Sanchez did not have travel insurance and just the air ambulance alone will be around $30K.
“It’s being so far away… On an emotional part, that’s what’s hard,” Culbertson. “That’s what I want, I want him home.”
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