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IDAHO FALLS — Three weeks after being paralyzed in a ski accident in the Swiss Alps, Idaho Falls native Justin Holman is back safely in the United States.
Holman and his wife Jaquoy Holman were stranded for weeks in a Swiss hospital after his insurance, UnitedHealthcare, did not authorize a medical transport back from Switzerland, his family stated in a news release.
Holman broke his back on Feb. 3 while skiing at Zermatt Resort near the Matterhorn "in a catastrophic spinal cord injury … shattering his C6 vertebrae," according to his family. He was left "paralyz(ed) from the waist down and unable to move or control his hands or fingers."
Nearly two weeks later, a medical board did not approve his original flight home — after the Holmans had already paid a down payment of $15,000 — leaving them searching for another option.
But with the support and rallying of his family, friends and community at home, Holman's GoFundMe has raised $103,700 in 11 days from 1,400 donors to pay for his medical flight to America.
"They put over $100,000 down on a card on a medical flight, and then I think they got authorization from the right doctors for him to fly on this other option," his brother Stetson Holman told EastIdahoNews.com on Monday.
Justin Holman was transported 270 miles via ambulance from the University Hospital of Bern to Frankfurt this weekend, where he embarked on a direct medical flight to Denver, accompanied by medical personnel.
Currently, he is at the Swedish Hospital in Denver, where he was admitted Saturday night to the emergency room.
"They're going to give him a second opinion on the diagnosis, whether or not he's going to have to undergo a second surgery to stabilize his back and run more tests and rounds of imaging," Stetson Holman said. "… Not a lot of medical records (from Switzerland) are super helpful for the care team there because they're all in German before."
From this point on, Holman's care is in-network and covered by UnitedHealthcare, Stetson Holman stated.
His mom, Judy Lowder, flew Sunday to Denver to spend time with her son.
"It's (the treatment's) taking a heck of a lot of radiation, but we got family there," Stetson Holman said.
After spending every moment she could by Justin Holman's side in Switzerland, Jaquoy Holman was greeted by her father Beau Twiss and stepmother Kody Twiss in Denver.
"She held it together the entire time, and I think just now is kind of getting an opportunity to kind of breathe and have at least the stress of this kind of be shared among other English-speaking people," Stetson said. "I don't think she feels like she has to advocate for herself as hard anymore, now that she's in-network, and she has the support of her family near at her side too with Justin. She was doing almost everything by herself before, so this has been quite an ordeal."
This next phase in Holman's recovery could take months, Stetson anticipated, as he undergoes physical and occupational therapy at Craig Hospital, one of the top U.S. clinics for neurorehabilitation from spinal injuries.
The family is grateful for all the love and support they've received.
"We kept getting calls from hundreds of people, 'How can we help?' How can we help?'" Stetson said.
If you would like to assist the Holmans with their continuing medical expenses and needs, you can visit their GoFundMe* page.
"We're going to put it in a special needs trust that can pay for hard, durable medical goods in the future — like wheelchairs — and make his house wheelchair accessible," Stetson said.
But for now, the Holmans are just grateful to be back home in America.
*KSL.com does not assure that the money deposited to the account will be applied for the benefit of the persons named as beneficiaries. If you are considering a deposit to the account, you should consult your own advisers and otherwise proceed at your own risk.
