Alexandra Horková before her accident. (source: Donio)
A Slovak 25-year-old, Alexandra Horkavá, suffered a moped acccident during a trip to Nicaragua on December 1 last year. Following the crash, Horková was left with serious injuries and fell into a coma. She is currently being treated in Philadelphia, USA.
Even though her parents would like to have her transported back to Slovakia, according to doctors, she will not be able to travel on a commercial flight. Repatriation by air ambulance would cost around €100,000, which her parents cannot afford.
Alexandra's case is not the only one. Denis, a Slovak who had been studying in Hong Kong before suffering an accident during a trip to mainland China, is also seeking to return after recently waking up from a coma.
Alexandra's trip almost became her last
After graduating from college and getting her bachelor's degree, Alexandra Horkavá was eligible to stay in the US for three years without a green card."Alexandra went to visit friends in Nicaragua and had an accident on a moped. She fell into a coma. Initially, she was communicative, but that changed after she was transferred to a local hospital. She was then moved to the [Nicaraguan] capital, Managua, due to the lack of necessary equipment. She loved travelling, and the trip to Nicaragua was supposed to be her last before returning to the USA," said her father, Igor Horkavý.
However, seven months later, her parents are still struggling to get their daughter home. The young Slovak was transported to Penn Presbyterian Medical Center in Philadelphia, Pensylvania, in late December 2023, where she underwent surgery to her neck, pelvis and arm. She suffered blood clots in her head, legs and arms.
After the surgeries, she started emerging from the coma, and in early February was moved to Jefferson Moss-Magee Rehabilitation Hospital for essential therapy, all covered by her American insurance. Having exhausted her rehabilitation options, she was moved back to Penn Presbyterian Medical Center three weeks ago, the Korzár daily reported.
"We are waiting for the American doctors' decision on her repatriation. Alexandra is in the lowest stage of consciousness, aware of her surroundings but unable to move her left leg and arm or communicate verbally," said Horkavý.
Alexandra's father has also expressed frustration with the slow and vague responses from the Slovak Embassy in the USA. He feels that the embassy has not provided clear guidance or shown sufficient interest in facilitating Alexandra's repatriation. The embassy's lack of concrete information and support has added to the parents' stress and feelings of helplessness.
Language barrier complicates situation
Horkavá's parents face significant challenges due to the language barrier, complicating their efforts to manage her medical situation in the US. They struggle to communicate with American doctors and hospital staff since neither speaks English well.
The medical team prefers phone calls, which are costly for the parents, and email responses are often delayed. Attempts to use Skype have been hindered by poor connectivity, adding to their frustration and uncertainty.
Therefore, given the communication difficulties and the financial burden of Alexandra's continued treatment in the USA, her parents have turned to the Slovak government for help.
They have reached out to various ministries and the Office of the President, seeking assistance with their daughter's repatriation to Slovakia.
The Health Ministry connected them with Louis Pasteur University Hospital in Košice, which has confirmed it is ready to provide Alexandra with the necessary medical care upon her return.
However, the Interior Ministry informed the family that a repatriation flight using a government aircraft would cost approximately €100,000 and that the flight crew lacks medical training. Sadly, the family does not have such a large sum of money.
"We don't have that kind of money, so we are looking for a way for someone to help us with the repatriation. That's why we approached the Ministry of the Interior, asking if the special flight for a diplomatic mission or government visit to the USA could be used to transport our daughter, to minimise the costs," says the father.
If the state doesn't help, compatriots do
According to her parents, Alexandra is capable of being transported. "She is conscious and aware of the world around her, responding to stimuli but unable to communicate. We believe it's most important for us to be together," her father added.
The hospital in Košice is ready to take care of her immediately upon arrival and hospitalize her. "She will undergo the necessary examinations and treatment. Our trauma surgery clinic is equipped with state-of-the-art facilities," said hospital spokesperson Monika Krišková, as quoted by the Noviny.sk website. However, such repatriation flights are challenging; this one could take as much as three days.
The parents have had to turn to the public for help and started a fundraising campaign to bring Alexandra home as soon as possible. Within 24 hours of launching the campaign, the first €5,000 was raised.
Politicians use government planes for sporting jollies
Jaroslav Naď, chairman of Demokrati party, expressed his frustration about the indifference of Slovak politicians.
"For seriously injured Alexandra, they don't want to send a government special flight; they'd rather use it for football trips. I am ashamed of you, incredibly ashamed of you as a citizen of this country," he wrote on X.
Naď was referring to the numerous taxpayer-funded flights taken by politicians and Slovak Football Association leaders to UEFA European Football Championship matches in Germany in recent weeks.
He also noted that Slovak politicians, including Defence Minister Robert Kaliňák (Smer) and other ministers, have visited the US several times in recent months – but on none of those flights, he said, did they consider taking Alexandra back to her motherland.
The case of Denis is somewhat better
Denis, a 26-year-old Slovak student, recently awoke from a coma in China after a severe head injury, bringing immense relief to his parents. He had been unconscious for nearly 40 days following an accident involving an escalator and a bus. Denis had been studying at Hong Kong Baptist University, and his parents were planning to attend his graduation when they received news of his hospitalisation.
Upon regaining consciousness, Denis recognised his parents and expressed confusion about his location and circumstances. Despite being weak, he is eager to return home. "The first thing he asked was where he was, what happened, and when we could go home," his mother recounted. "This feels like a second birthday for him—one on December 9 and now another on July 10."
The TVNoviny.sk news website quoted Health Ministry spokesperson Andrej Wallner as saying that a government flight would be ready to transport the patient to Slovakia and the government is currently waiting for a specific date to be determined. However, Denis may soon be able to take a commercial flight home.
