A Lake Grove family says they have paid at least $50,000 for hospital care for their patriarch who suffered a stroke barely one day into his trip to Jamaica.
The Alotta family says that their dad and father-in-law, Dan, also has pneumonia.
"He's lost mobility on his entire left side, he has some mobility on his right side and his speech has been impaired," said daughter-in-law, Samantha Alotta, on Saturday.
The family says they've had to pay the thousands of dollars to get him treatment at a private hospital in Jamaica and to pay for a private paramedic to fly home with him.
The family says while they remain shocked at the cost, they are grateful Dan will soon be getting treatment back on Long Island.
They say they reached out to a private healthcare service in Florida to get him back home.
"With his help, we have arranged a plan for our dad to come home...we're thankful that right now he is stable, his vitals are stable and he's making small improvements every day," Samantha Alotta added. "He is OK to fly, he is flying home tomorrow, on Sunday, and he will be transported directly to Stony Brook Hospital."
The Alotta family says a person from the U.S. embassy told them paying for private health care is not uncommon for travelers.
They say they wanted to share their story with News 12 to let other travelers know what could happen if they get sick while on a trip.
The Alotta family set up a
GoFundMe page to help Dan on his recovery and safe return home.