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WCCO Viewer Offers To Fly Family Home From Costa Rica

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- A Minnesota family stuck in Central America and trying to find a way home may have just found their ticket.

Three-year-old Axel Lopez broke his leg last week and needed emergency surgery. His cast has prevented him from taking a commercial flight back to Minnesota from Costa Rica.

It was day two of a family vacation to Costa Rica when his mom Emmee said Axel fell down and broke his femur.

They rushed him to National Children's Hospital, where hours later he had surgery. Axel's cast goes from his waist down his right leg, and covers part of the left.

"As a mother that's the most heartbreaking thing to see your child in pain," Lopez said.

The U.S. Embassy recommended booking an air ambulance. With that came another shock, a flight with a $42,000 price tag.

"Our insurance denied us because we're out of the country. Unfortunately because we were led to believe our insurance would cover it," Lopez said.

WCCO's Jennifer Mayerle reported the story on Tuesday. On Wednesday, she received word from a viewer, who owns a private plane company, that he plans to fly the family home Friday, at no cost to them.

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