An exchange student from Chile stops over in Houston for an emergency appendectomy.
Early Sunday morning on May 6 Alan Wylie received a call from Vicky Dilley, a Rotary Youth Exchange friend in Minnesota, advising him that an exchange student from Chile, Isi Tiska, was returning home from Minneapolis to Santiago and had experienced very severe stomach pains on the flight from Minnesota to Houston.
After the flight landed in Houston, United Airlines dispatched her by ambulance to Memorial Herman Hospital near the airport where she underwent successful appendectomy surgery later that day.
After receiving the telephone call that morning, Alan Wylie immediately called Alan and Nancy Jo Derby and Susan Brodbeck who quickly went to the hospital to reassure Isi that she had Rotary friends to rely on. Susan provided to the hospital the Rotary insurance that Vicky had emailed to us. Susan and Alan later went to the airport to retrieve Isi’s three very large and heavy suit cases. That afternoon, after the surgery, Nick and Fabiola Giannone went to the hospital. Fabiola, fluent in Spanish, called the parents in Chile to reassure them that Isi was ok and still under the care of Rotary.
Rotarian Vicky Dilley and Kevin Eide, Isi’s last host father in Minneapolis, were an absolute delight to work with over this 36 hour period. Isi’s parents in Chile were in constant communication via face time.
Isi stayed overnight with Rotarians Joan and Bill Davis on Monday evening.
Isi’s wish was to return home on Tuesday evening and with the blessing of her doctor and parents she embarked on United 847 to Santiago to be met by her brother who lives in Santiago. She will later take the one hour flight to her own home.
And we must thank United Airlines for the way they handled the original situation and the follow up rebooking.
Humble Rotarians, being close to the airport, have often volunteered to provide a home to exchange students who need an overnight home while traveling through Houston. On this occasion, they really stepped up to the plate. Thank you to Humble Rotary.
.JPG)
