Tyler Perry recently came to the aid of a couple who were stuck in a hospital in Mexico, unable to leave before they paid their $14,000 bill.
Stephen Johnson and his fiancée Tori Austin, from Atlanta, were on a cruise when Stephen went into diabetic shock, which required immediate medical assistance and ended up as a three-day stint in the intensive care unit.
The couple were taken to the nearest hospital, the Centro Medico Americano in Progreso, where Stephen was treated with dialysis, among other procedures and medication.
You can see more about Stephen and Tori’s story here:
However, once Stephen had recovered, the couple were told they couldn’t leave until their bill – all $14,000 of it – was paid in full.
Stephen told WSB-TV: ‘I appreciate them saving my life, but they can’t hold me captive. That’s not right.’
The couple offered to pay a down payment, as well as offering to sign a promissory note for the bill, but said the hospital demanded the payment in full and said they couldn’t leave until they paid.
Stephen and Tori’s families set up GoFundMe pages, and while donations came in, it would have taken them a while to reach their target.
Amazingly, it seems fellow Atlantan Tyler Perry – actor, comedian, writer and film studio owner – heard about Stephen and Tori’s situation and, according to TMZ, came to their rescue.
After days in the hospital, it seems Perry heard about the couple’s dire situation, and reportedly phoned the hospital in Mexico and offered to pay the bill in full.
According to reports, his credit card was at first rebuffed, and was told to wire the money to the hospital instead.
TMZ’s sources say the hospital will receive the money on Monday, November 25, with Stephen then able to be discharged the following day. It is also suggested Stephen is now well enough to fly home on a commercial flight, rather than by medevac plane as first suggested.
According to NBC News, Tyler saw the couple’s story on a local news report. Upon hearing of Tyler’s generous act, Tori said she was ‘so thankful for him’.
Keep up the good work, Tyler!
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Charlie Cocksedge is a journalist and sub-editor at UNILAD. He graduated from the University of Manchester with an MA in Creative Writing, where he learnt how to write in the third person, before getting his NCTJ. His work has also appeared in such places as The Guardian, PN Review and the bin.