If we didn't have enough to wory about with colon/dollar fluctuations and MP raids....
PIDD
Stricken expat falls through the cracks and faces grim future
By Elise Sonray
of the A.M. Costa Rica staff
A U.S. man who had a stroke last week is now lying comatose in the hospital with no way to get home, said his friend and business partner.
The man, know as John Richards or John Ruggeri, was living illegally in Costa Rica and is in Hospital Calderón Guardia unable to speak. Ruggeri can only make efforts to squeeze with his hand, said the friend, Shelly Kostner.
The ailing man represents an extreme case of what can happen to an expat who does not obtain residency or enroll in the country's social programs.
Kostner said the worst part is that Ruggeri's family has no money to get the man back to Las Vegas, Nevada, where his Ch*ldren are. A U.S. Embassy employee said that his government could only put him in a shelter and that he needs to leave the hospital today, said Kostner.
An e-mail from the embassy sent to the family said: “We have until Friday to answer. Unless the family comes up with a solution by then, we have no choice but to tell the hospital to dispose of the patient the same way they would a Costa Rican patient.†The message carried the name of Isabel Picado of the U.S. Embassy.
The embassy confirmed that Ms. Picado was an employee but said a press spokesperson could not comment on specific cases due to the privacy act, behind which State Department officials cloak many of their actions.
“John was the kind of guy who was always cracking jokes. He would walk into a pulperÃa and have the person laughing before he left,†said Kostner.
Ruggeri worked in various businesses in Costa Rica, said Kostner. The latest was an online pharmacy. Ruggeri apparently lost his passport some time ago and was unable
to obtain another one, according to Kosner. It was unclear to her as to why he did not get another passport, said
Nancy Ruggeri, his ex-wife in a telephone call from Las Vegas.
Although Ruggeri and his former wife Nancy Ruggeri are separated, she said he has always been a good father and she wants to get him back home. “This could happen to anyone who is disenfranchised,†said Ms. Ruggeri, who said to get her ex-husband home would take an air ambulance and cost about $4,000. “The U.S. Embassy won't help you or get you home,†said Ms. Ruggeri, who added that she was frustrated with the initial contact she had with the embassy.
If the family can bring Ruggeri home, they will have to pay $6,000 a month until they can get him on insurance or Medicaid, since he is no longer a resident of Clark County, Nevada, said Ms. Ruggeri.
Ruggeri came to Costa Rica about eight years ago. He used to live in Flamingo and owned part of a hotel there, said Kostner. He was well known and liked in the area as Richards, and later moved to San José, said the friend. Ms. Ruggeri said the family had not heard news from him since he left.
The director of social work for the Caja Costarricense de Seguro Social at Calderón Guardia said that since Ruggeri has no pension from the United States or from Costa Rica, he has almost no options.
The director, Lucylena Quirós, said that workers had previously thought the family, U.S. Embassy, or a U.S. social association would be able to pay for Ruggeri and care for him when he left the hospital, but that now did not seem to be the case. Since Ruggeri is still in his 50's he can't get any extra help from Costa Rica, she said. Ms. Quirós said that social workers were researching the situation and would hopefully have an answer by next week. Ms. Quirós said that Ruggeri should leave as soon as possible but that didn't necessarily mean today. “We won't put him out on the street,†said Ms. Quirós.
The family would appreciate any suggestions or help in this difficult situation, said Ms. Ruggeri.
