Jul 17, 2025
The Dervis family’s vacation to the Dominican Republic was supposed to be a celebration, but things took a scary turn when an emergency trip to the hospital left two of them stranded in the Caribbean.
The family joined about 30 people from the Johnsburg, Illinois area on a trip to celebrate their children's graduation from high school when Greg Dervis, the family patriarch, was rushed to the hospital with a brain clot that required emergency surgery.
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"He needed to go to the ICU, but the hospital wouldn't put him in ICU until I gave them $10,000," Greg’s wife, Bonnie, shared with CBS News.
Now, Greg and Bonnie are stranded in the Dominican Republic, staring at a mountain of debt as they wait for Greg to be cleared for a flight back to the U.S.
‘Twenty-five grand total I've done so far’
As the Dervises learned at the hospital, Greg’s diagnosis was quite a serious matter.
"They had to remove the whole blood clot and part of his skull to reduce the swelling," said Bonnie, who later realized that their travel insurance does not cover overseas medical treatments, including Greg’s surgery.
"I needed $15,000 just to give them to do the brain surgery. Twenty-five grand total I've done so far," said Bonnie, adding up the cost of Greg's admission to ICU along with the surgery.
Greg received the surgery and was released from the ICU. He's reportedly talking and recognizes Bonnie, but due to the swelling from the blood clot, Greg is not medically cleared to fly on a commercial flight for at least six weeks. And while their son, Cole, has returned to the U.S., Bonnie and Greg are now stranded in the Dominican Republic until the latter is cleared for a flight home.
"It's really hard on Cole because he feels bad,” said Bonnie. “He doesn't know what to do either… and then he's worried about me, because I'm alone in a different country all by myself."
With the Dervises in a tough situation, friends and family started a GoFundMe campaign to help cover the family’s mounting medical bills and living expenses in the Dominican Republic. As of August 26, the fundraiser had netted nearly 43,000, with the goal of raising $100,000 for the Dervis family.
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Why travel insurance is worth the cost
According to a 2023 survey from Business Insider, only 38% of American travelers purchased travel insurance, while 14% said they purchased insurance but were not sure which kind.
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Of the 62% of travelers that didn’t purchase travel insurance, 35% said they chose not to do so because they had traveled before and didn’t think they needed it. But as the Dervis family learned the hard way, medical emergencies can pop up at any time during a vacation.
Even travelers who do purchase insurance often don't read the fine print in order to completely understand their coverage, which is what may have happened with Bonnie and Greg.
American travelers should also be aware of the fact that medical coverage standards and procedures abroad may differ significantly from what we’re used to in the U.S. Additionally, medical costs can vary significantly, which is something the Dervises found out firsthand.
According to Expat Financial, an online resource for Americans living abroad, healthcare in the Dominican Republic is expensive, particularly in tourist areas such as Sosua and Punta Cana, where the Dervis family was staying.
Travel insurance with medical evacuation coverage typically costs between 5% and 10% of your total trip cost, according to industry data. For a $5,000 vacation, that means spending $250 to $500 on insurance, which might seem expensive but could end up being a lifesaver.
How to protect yourself before traveling internationally
Not all travel insurance is created equal when it comes to medical emergencies abroad. Many basic policies focus primarily on trip cancellation and lost luggage, with medical coverage as an afterthought. To make sure you’re covered for medical emergencies, look for the following coverage:
- Medical evacuation coverage of at least $250,000.
- Primary (not secondary) medical coverage.
- Coverage for pre-existing conditions.
- Direct payment to medical providers (so you don't have to pay upfront)
If you're planning an international trip, the U.S. State Department also has a few recommendations:
- Purchase comprehensive travel insurance with specific medical evacuation coverage.
- Bring documentation about your medications and medical history.
- Register with the U.S. embassy in your destination country through the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program.
- Research the quality of medical care at your destination.
- Consider traveling with a credit card that offers robust emergency medical benefits.
- Keep digital copies of your insurance documents accessible from anywhere.
The Dervis family’s experience serves as a sobering reminder that even carefully planned vacations can quickly turn into medical and financial emergencies — and that spending a few hundred dollars on comprehensive travel insurance before your trip might be the best money you ever spend.
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Cory Santos is a finance writer, editor and credit card expert with over seven years of experience in personal finance. Having lived and worked worldwide, Cory now calls South Florida home, helping consumers find their ideal credit card and offering impartial and approachable advice to help them navigate their best financial lives. Cory joined Wise Publishing from BestCards, with bylines in numerous digital publications across North America, including AOL, MSN, Yahoo Finance, the Miami Herald, St. Louis Post-Dispatch, and more. When he isn't scouring for the latest credit card deals and offers, Cory can be found working on his various historical research projects, jogging, or hanging out with his cats, Bentley, Cougar, and Pumpkin.
