Out of Coma, Michelle Mackey Now Back Stateside Following Life-Threatening Medical Ordeal in Costa Rica

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Following a nearly three-week-long ordeal after suffering a reaction to anesthesia that caused cardiac arrest during a dental procedure in Costa Rica, Chehalis resident Michelle Mackey arrived at the Broward Medical Center in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, on Monday, where she is continuing to recover and receive treatment.

She has been taken off sedatives and has awakened from her coma. Aside from some vision problems, she is responsive, talking and eating, and can at least see shapes and colors.  

Mackey, who owns and operates the Rise & Grind coffee stand in Ashford, traveled to San José, Costa Rica with her boyfriend, Jack Chambers, to get dental rod implants and veneers during a Jan. 12 procedure. 

When the anesthesia triggered the reaction and subsequent cardiac arrest, it took nearly half an hour for emergency responders to restore her heartbeat. 

From there she was transported to Hospital CIMA, a private hospital that charged $15,000 per day for Mackey to receive care and due to her critical condition, the hospital refused to transfer her to a cheaper state hospital. 

Last week, Chambers, along with family who traveled down to Costa Rica to help, were able to finally get her moved to San Juan de Dios, a public hospital in San José. Then, a MedFlight was secured and she was finally transferred to the hospital in Florida. 

While Mackey was still in the ICU upon arrival, she was expected to be moved out of it on Wednesday. Doctors believed her vision problems might have been caused by nerve damage but could also be caused by swelling in the brain. An MRI was scheduled to find out more. 

“No more ventilator and Michelle is able to talk! She also did very well on her memory test! They helped her out of bed today and she was able to sit in a chair unassisted,” wrote family friend and GoFundMe organizer Lindsay Fillman in an update on the donation page. “Although she is on the mend, there are many medical expenses ahead! There are still so many unknowns on her road to recovery so please continue donating, sharing and praying.”

As of last week, the family had already paid $125,000 of over $180,000 in hospital bills, and Chambers said he expects the total cost of Mackey’s medical fees to surpass $200,000. 

Mackey, her friends and family continue to ask the community for support. To donate, visit https://gofund.me/c70eaf95. 

In addition to the GoFundMe, three fundraiser dinners have been scheduled to help the family pay for the medical expenses. 



First, a lasagna dinner and silent auction starting at 4 p.m. on Feb. 4 at the Mt. Rainier Lions Club, located at 27726 state Route 706 in Ashford. 

Then, on Feb. 11 at 4 p.m., a spaghetti dinner, auction and raffle will be held at the Eagles Hall in Eatonville, located at 100 Weyerhaeuser Road N. 

The final dinner will be on March 5 from 5 to 7 p.m. at McFiler’s Chehalis Theater, located at 588 N. Market Blvd., and will feature a silent auction. 

For those unable to make it to these dinners, the following five locations in Pierce, Thurston and Lewis counties are accepting cash donations for Mackey:

• Olympia Roof Doctor, located at 8120 Old Highway 99 SE in Tumwater

• Chehalis Roof Doctor, located at 1522 Bishop Road in Chehalis

• Mill Haus Cider Co. and Taproom, located at 303 Center St. E. in Eatonville

• Cedar Village IGA, located at 206 E. Walnut St. in Winlock

• Rise & Grind coffee stand, located at 29716 state Route 706 E. in Ashford

Mackey, her family and friends thank the community for their continued prayers and support.