After a tragic tumble on a hiking trip, a 29‑year‑old ER nurse from Worcester, Massachusetts, found herself trapped in Costa Rica with a broken spine and temporarily paralyzed legs.
Kiara Diaz was enjoying her final day of vacation with close friends when they set off to visit the ruins of El Miro—a long‑abandoned, unfinished mansion perched above the Pacific and the town of Jaco. While exploring the site, Diaz slipped backward, taking a 15‑foot plunge that fractured her collarbone and her spine. The impact left her legs numb and required immediate medical attention.
Her brother, Gindember Diaz, explained to WCVB that the fall left her in a precarious state, and her friends—both registered nurses—worked together for two hours on the spot, carefully keeping her still while waiting for emergency services. It wasn’t until about two hours after they called 911 that ambulances arrived.
Now there are no health or travel insurance plans covering the injury. Dia‑z’s family is in a difficult position, hoping to arrange an evacuation flight to Boston for surgery. Yet the paperwork and costs are overwhelming, especially since the nurse had canceled her previous coverage after it stopped paying for a medication she needed and was planning a new policy.
Local doctors have deemed her currently unfit to travel, and a procedure was scheduled for Tuesday at a Costa Rican hospital. Even a successful operation won’t mean a quick return; doctors anticipate a lengthy recovery.
Samantha Cruz, a friend, set up a GoFundMe page to keep relatives and supporters updated and to help finance the expenses of sending Diaz home. When she first arrived at the medical facility, she reported that care was minimal—she had been left in a hallway without proper monitoring.
Since Diaz’s injury, her mother and brother have flown into Costa Rica to stay by her side. The timeline for her return to Massachusetts remains uncertain, but the community and family are rallying around her. “Kiara has spent her career caring for others. As an ER nurse, she has devoted herself to helping people heal and feel safe at their worst. Now she needs that same care and support in return,” Cruz wrote.
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