Kelowna mom injured abroad faces uncertain future as bills mount

Mother stuck in Mexico

Photo: Susan Chara

Susan Chara laid up in a Mexican hospital following a paragliding accident.

A Kelowna woman is facing an uncertain future as she awaits medical treatment in a Mexico City hospital.

Susan Chara was vacationing in Mexico City with one of her sons when she was injured during a paragliding incident on Dec. 13.

“I’ve been paragliding for the last six years, and I had kind of a freak accident,” says Chara.

“I have a severely fractured pelvis, and the surgeon recommended surgery the next day, and insurance denied it. So I’ve been sitting here for five days on a broken pelvis, waiting for answers.”

She says she made a point of purchasing additional travel insurance through BCAA to cover any medical issues during her trip. Now that she needs it, Chara says it has been a real struggle communicating between the Mexican hospital and BCAA.

“I’m in a really good hospital, which I’m grateful for, but the expenses are adding up.”

Chara says everyone has been very pleasant, but she hasn’t been able to get any answers on when she can have surgery in Mexico or fly home to Kelowna for surgery.

“It has been such a struggle to deal with insurance.”

Chara says she feels like she has been getting the run around on all ends and has no idea what’s going to happen next.

“I’ve been in the hospital for five days now, and it doesn’t look like it’s going to be resolved anytime soon, which is the stressful part,” she said.

Chara’s sister has started a GoFundMe in hopes of helping her pay for any medical and recovery expenses.

So far it has raised $17,196.

At this point, Chara has no idea what will happen next for her, but she wants to warn other Canadians travelling abroad.

“It is scary, there’s two different types of policies. One where you have to pay upfront and you get reimbursed, and another (which she chose) where insurance covers everything and you don’t pay up front,” says Chara.

Despite taking those precautions, Chara says she remains in limbo, unable to have the surgery in Mexico and unable to fly home.

“It just feels like they keep running me in loops. I called this morning (Wednesday), and I’m like, [BCAA] haven’t even talked to the hospital,” Chara said.

So far her medical bills have totalled $10,000 and she has no idea where the total amount will end.

She says she will require multiple major surgeries, including plates installed at the front and back of her pelvis and a screw placed in her sacrum.

The future for the single mother is uncertain, and at this point she has no idea if she will be home for Christmas or still confined to a Mexican hospital bed.

“I feel like a bird with my wings clipped, waiting for them to grow back. A bird with a very sore butt,” Chara says.

Photo: Lydia Rowbottom

Kelowna single mother of two has been injured in a paragliding accident in Mexico City.