B.C. skydiver incurs $500,000 American hospital bill for injury

Dec 19 2017, 6:22 pm

A fundraising campaign is underway to assist Kenzie Markey with her colossal $500,000 medical bill after a skydiving injury in the desert outside Phoenix, Arizona on Sunday, April 6.

The 32-year-old native of Nova Scotia currently calls Squamish, B.C. her home and has completed over a hundred jumps ever since she began skydiving three years ago.

It is believed that her parachute failed during the last jump of the day, although the exact cause and height of fall is not known given the absence of witnesses. She was quickly discovered by air force crews and rushed to hospital.

Her total injuries amounted to a fractured femur, toe, pelvis, skull eye socket, nose and below, as well as an collapsed lung. After three surgeries, her condition has improved and is stabilized, but she still has a long road to recovery.

Markey believed she had the proper travel insurance for potential medical incidents in the United States, but she was not aware that it did not cover injuries from extreme sports. 

Her condition is not stable enough to permit air transport for return to Canada, where she will undergo further medical treatment. This has led to her two-week stay at an American hospital which has led to a $500,000 medical bill that does not even include a potential $45,000 fee to air transport her back to B.C.

A FundRazr crowd funding campaign has been launched to assist with Markey’s medical bills. Her family hopes to raise $50,000 by June 9; to date, nearly $15,000 has been raised.

 

DH Vancouver StaffDH Vancouver Staff

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