Thread: Comatose Honduran woman won't be evacuated by hospital

Published: 05.21.2008

Comatose Honduran woman won't be evacuated by hospital
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
PHOENIX — A comatose Honduran woman won't be medically evacuated to her native country against the wishes of her family.
St. Joseph's Hospital and Medical Center reached agreement Tuesday with lawyers representing Sonia del Cid Iscoa, 34.
Iscoa, a legal immigrant, did not have sufficient medical insurance to cover long-term care, St. Joseph's could not offer it, and there were no apparent programs that could take her.
The hospital planned to fly her to a government hospital in Tegucigalpa, Honduras.
Iscoa's family went to Maricopa County Superior Court to get a temporary restraining order, and all parties were scheduled to appear before a judge on Friday.
But Iscoa's condition has improved so markedly in the past several days that the discussion has changed.
Iscoa fell into a coma after an emergency Caesarean section last month.
Nora Montoya, the consul general for Honduras in Phoenix, said that Iscoa is able to move her arms and legs more freely than before and has begun to ask for things in simple sentences.
"The idea is that if her progress continues as they expect, we will be able to work out a discharge plan that involves her being treated here in Maricopa County," said John Curtain, an attorney for Iscoa.
A spokeswoman for the hospital confirmed that an agreement had been reached and that the court date had been canceled, but did not comment further.
Iscoa has been in the United States for 17 years and has no family in Honduras. She has a valid work visa that allows her to remain in the country legally and has seven children who live here, including the one born April 20.
Iscoa went to the hospital on April 16 because of abnormal bleeding, but the hospital sent her home, family members said.
The next day, her doctor asked her to return, and when her water broke and she began having contractions, she was rushed into surgery and did not regain consciousness afterward.
She went into kidney failure and had two more surgeries to stop bleeding and to remove an ovary.
When the hospital staff informed her family that Iscoa was going to be flown to Hospital Escuela in Tegucigalpa, Honduras, they contacted attorneys.
A Maricopa County Superior Court judge ordered that the family post a $20,000 bond to defray expenses incurred by the delay.
The Arizona Trial Attorneys Association pledged the bond, and Honduran groups worked to raise money.
Iscoa regained consciousness on May 13.
Representatives from the hospital in Honduras where she was to be sent said that it has no dialysis unit and has a limited number of beds in its intensive care facility.
"We don't know if she ever would have gotten dialysis at all, which would have likely killed her," Curtain said.

http://www.azstarnet.com/sn/printDS/240046

She's only 34, but has been here 17 years on a work visa legally. She has 7 children all born in the USA, who are citizens. Who fathered these children? What an abuse of the system!

Did she ever have time to work having all these children?

I hope the hospital goes after her "American" children for all the bills!!

A Maricopa County Superior Court judge ordered that the family post a $20,000 bond to defray expenses incurred by the delay.

At least the judge did this. But it won't be a drop in the bucket in covering her medical bills. They need to transport her out as soon as they can.

St. Joshep's Hospital is owned by the Catholic Church. I hope Iscoa bleeds the hospital in health care costs. The Church deserves a little of their own medicine regarding their stance on sanctuary and amnesty for illegal aliens.

She has probably already run up a hospital bill of $1M! Not to mention that each of her 7 kids is probably costing taxpayers $10,000/year! And why has she had a work visa for 17 years??? Don't they have an expiration date?