Imagine getting sick unexpectedly, requiring emergency treatment, and then being handed a bill for $14,000.

Now imagine that the hospital won’t let you leave until you pay it in full.

Atlanta couple Tori Austin and her fiancée Stephen Johnson faced exactly this situation in November after Johnson fell gravely ill on a cruise.

The medical emergency occurred on the ship and medics on board diagnosed him with pancreatitis, diabetes and a kidney infection that required dialysis.

The couple was able to disembark so Johnson could be rushed to a private hospital in Progreso, Mexico for life-saving treatment.

“He suffered kidney failure and is currently undergoing dialysis,” the administrator said.

What the couple didn’t know at the time was that some private hospitals in Mexico have a policy mandating that bills be paid in full when patients are discharged. They don’t have another method of billing patients.

According to NBC News “The hospital generally helps patients figure out how to pay the bill through credit cards or money transfers if they don’t have travel insurance.”

Johnson needed an endoscopy, dialysis, three days of intensive care and other medical procedures bringing his final bill to over $14,000.

The couple got the news as they tried to leave the hospital to return home to Atlanta. But they couldn’t leave because they couldn’t pay.

“It’s been a nightmare. We just want to come home,” she told WGCL at the time. “[It’s] hell. I very much so am a hostage,” Johnson added.

Austin created a GoFundMe page from Mexico to try to raise money so they could leave as the total due continued to rise.

That’s when film mogul Tyler Perry saw their story on Good Morning America and decided to step in.

He sent a payment to cover the bill, which by then had risen to over $16,000, according to NBC News. He also offered to pay for the couple’s return to Atlanta once Johnson was healthy enough to travel.

“I am so thankful for him,” Austin said of Perry, who flew the couple home in first class.

According to the website of the U.S. Embassy in Mexico:

“Hospitals in Mexico generally require payment upfront for services rendered and will place holds on credit cards if a patient is admitted. Some private U.S. insurance companies pay for medical care overseas, but usually on a reimbursable basis, meaning that you will need to pay first and request reimbursement later.”

The couple returned home on November 26th and updated friends and family with a Facebook message.

According to Austin’s Facebook comments, the Mexican government had already been trying to close down this particular hospital for its unethical behavior.

“We are working both with the American and Mexican Embassy to try and make this happen,” she responded to a commenter.

Their nightmare is now an important lesson for those traveling to buy supplemental health insurance.

Be sure to scroll down below to see CBS News’ coverage of their story.

Please SHARE this with your friends and family.

Source: NBC News, WGCL CBS 46, CBS Evening News via Facebook