GOODYEAR, Ariz. — A Valley family feels trapped more than 2,000 miles away from home.
Ted and Lisamarie Rykowski live in Goodyear with their two young sons. The family traveled to New York for the weekend to celebrate their Goddaughter's First Communion.
Their quick weekend getaway turned into a total nightmare.
"None of it was expected or planned for and it's going to be tough," Ted Rykowski said while sitting in a hospital bed.
During the communion ceremony, Ted Rykowski said his leg started to hurt to the point where they needed to go to the emergency room. When they arrived, he said it had turned blue.
"They found out it's a 12-inch blood clot from his groin to his knee," Lisamarie Rykowski said.
He was immediately admitted and given medication. Around that same time, their 12-year-old son Kyle started coughing violently and one of his ears started to bleed. They rushed him to the hospital's pediatric wing where he was diagnosed with a viral infection and a ruptured ear drum.
"They had to put him on oxycodone because they said the pain was incredible," Lisamarie Rykowski said.
While Kyle is doing better, Ted Rykowski is still in the hospital. Doctors told the family he could not fly or drive for extended periods and that doing so could kill him.
"I'm crying all the time," Lisamarie Rykowski said.
At the same time, the family's expenses for the stay are piling up. The hotel stay, hospital bills and the cost of food have depleted the family's resources.
"Our credit cards are getting maxed," Lisamarie Rykowski said.
Lisamarie Rykowski tells 12News that doctors may give Ted the okay to travel on Monday. However, he would not be able to fly for more than a few hours and would have to get a connecting flight somewhere between Arizona and New York.
“We just want to get [Ted] and the boys home, get us home, and right now, with all the added expense, we're running out of money,” Lisamarie said.
Friends have set up a GoFundMe to raise money for travel expenses. You can find that link by clicking here.
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