Idaho man paralyzed and stuck in Switzerland

SWITZERLAND (KMVT/KSVT) — A Heyburn man is stuck in Switzerland after a skiing accident that left him paralyzed.

Justin Holman and his wife Jaquoy Holman traveled to Switzerland for a ski trip with their family earlier this month. But their trip quickly took a turn for the worse.

“I knew I couldn’t really move my legs like immediately,” Justin Holman said. “I just hit a jump that I don’t think I realized how big it was and I over rotated and didn’t land where I wanted to land.”

Justin Holman suffered a spinal cord injury that left him paralyzed from the waist down and unable to control his hands or fingers.

“I was at the bottom of the ski hill, and I rode the lift back up to get back to where he was,” Jaquoy Holman said. “Of course I was in shock and probably not able to fully process is at the time, but it was definitely terrifying.”

Justin Holman was airlifted from the ski resort to the nearest hospital, where he underwent emergency neck fusion surgery. Since the procedure, Holman says his health insurance provider has refused to cover his medical transport or rehabilitation, leaving him stranded overseas for weeks.

“It’s been so many hoops we’ve had to jump through,” Justin Holman said. “We’ve been getting dragged around by the insurance company, saying that we needed to use certain companies. When we got everything lined out with the companies in the course of 6 days, they we’re like, ‘Oh wait, never mind, that’s not covered.‘”

With options running thin, Holman said that an insurance rep suggested that the couple launched a GoFundMe Campaign to raise the estimated $186,000 needed to get him back to the U.S. and start his journey to recovery.

“We found a highly recommended place,” Jaquoy Holman. “It’s called Craig Hospital, its right outside of Denver, Colorado. It’s a spinal rehabilitation center and we don’t know how long he will be there. We don’t know many details at all right now. That’s kind of the crazy part, we’re just trying to get to the point of just being there.”

We contacted his insurance company, United Healthcare, and they sent us a statement.

“We are very sorry to hear about Mr. Holman’s accident in Switzerland. we have been working with the employer that

provides his health insurance. It is our understanding that his safe transport back to the United States is being covered soon

and we wish Mr. Holman a safe recovery."

Meanwhile, the Holmans said their goal is to be back in the U.S. as soon as next week, thanks to donations.

“We are very grateful that we have a community that will step in and do so many things to help us when they definitely don’t have to, because our insurance wasn’t willing to help us out or even guide us in the right direction,” Jaqouy said.

Contributions can be made here.

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