Lafayette Firefighter Sent To ICU During Anniversary Trip To Mexico
LAFAYETTE, Colo. (CBS4) - A vacation to Mexico has turned into a nightmare for a firefighter and his family in Lafayette. Lt. Jason Oliver was celebrating his 16th wedding anniversary with his wife when he had to be rushed by ambulance to a hospital in Cancun.
Jason, also a paramedic and Army veteran, is used to helping others on a daily basis. Now he is the one who needs the help.
"This is a nightmare," said his wife Maigan Oliver.
Maigan said her husband suddenly came down with a pounding headache and had to be taken to an intensive care unit.
"He was having such bad headaches. He couldn't sit up. He couldn't eat," Maigan told CBS4's Melissa Garcia.
Medical staff at Hospiten in Cancun performed a CT scan and discovered bleeding in the brain.
At a cost of $6,000 per day in the ICU, Maigan wants to get Jason back home and into the care he needs.
"There are so many unknowns right now. The tests that needed to be done four days ago are just now being done tomorrow," she said.
It was unclear how delicate his condition was.
"We've got two beautiful kids, and we've got a great life together. And I can't make that decision, am I going to put him on a flight that could risk his life? But I also don't know that he's getting the care that he actually needs here," she said.
A friend has set up a GoFundMe page for Oliver.
Maigan said the next time she travels out of the country, she plans to purchase travel insurance that could assist with a return home more quickly.
Rep. Ed Perlmutter, who represents , has since been notified of the situation. His office released this statement Monday afternoon:
Our first contact with them took place last night (10/14). So far, our office has helped put them in touch with both the U.S. Consulate and Embassy offices closest to them. Our understanding is that Consulate/Embassy officials are working with the hospital now to better understand the timing of things and help provide resources such as financial assistance and medivac options. We are also on hand to help them work with their insurance provider, Kaiser, if need be.
The Lafayette Fire Department also responded to the situation.
"He's truly an asset to Lafayette Fire. He's been here six years," said David Friedel, Chief of the Lafayette Fire Department. "And we're missing him. It's like someone has captured our family member."
"It just sucks the air out of you. Jason is a very fit, very healthy guy," said Scott Stephenson, one of Jason's friends. "He's an outstanding husband, a wonderful father, a great friend, a firefighter, a veteran. I mean, I can't say enough good things about the guy."
Melissa Garcia has been reporting for CBS4 News since March 2014. Find her bio here, follow her on Twitter @MelissaGarciaTV, or send your story idea to mkgarcia@cbs.com.
