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Local stroke victim Medi-Vac approved to fly home from Africa

209 views · Published 8 August 2014 · 2:55 · Indexed 20 September 2026

Channel: LOCAL 12 · 2014 · News & Politics

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UPDATE: 

CINCINNATI (WKRC) -- Anthem Health Insurance has announced it will pay for the medical flight back to Ohio from Tanzania for local teacher Terri Kersey.
   
The company had left Kersey in limbo over the extreme costs of such a flight after she suffered a stroke while in Africa for a climb up Mount Kilimanjaro.  Kersey's family credits UC's stroke team for getting Anthem to see that the flight could not wait.
   
Kersey should be back home Friday.
   
Stay with Local 12 for the latest information as this situation continues and Kersey makes her way home to the United States.

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CINCINNATI (Angela Ingram) -- When Terri Kersey left Cincinnati for Tanzania, she was excited to climb Mount Kilimanjaro and raise money for a rare digestive disease called EE (Eosinophilic esophagitis).
   
But, a day after Terri finished the climb, her family got a frantic call from Terri's husband.

"Terri is delirious and she doesn't know who's who.  And they put her on the phone and she was talking in different tones.  And I said, 'She's having a stroke,'" Terri's sister, Rhonda Feldman, said.
   
The fifth-grade teacher was taken to Arusha Lutheran Medical Center in Tanzania.  A CT scan showed she indeed suffered a stroke.
   
"She is paralyzed on the right side and she lost her speech," Feldman said.
   
Her family said a medical condition had caused the stroke.  The UC stroke team advised the family a Medevac equipped with medical workers and equipment was the safest way back home.  But, the family said the insurance company wasn't helping.
   
"So, we've got this letter that is what we were told Anthem required.  And, so far, nothing.  No, no.  I got a call right before I came here that they're not returning our phone calls," said Feldman.
   
Now the woman who raised $20,000 to help others needs help getting home. "We were to the point where all of our paperwork was in.  We've got a case file.  We are trying to get this through her insurance.  We just need the okay and the team can go get here."

Terri's family put together a Facebook page for people to get updates on her condition and find out how they can help.  CLICK HERE for that link.


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