U-M students seriously injured in car crash in Cancun, need money to come home

FOX 2 (WJBK) - Just days into a spring break trip to Cancun, a car crash left two University of Michigan students stranded in Mexico for nearly a month.

Now the families of the four friends are trying to raise enough money for a medical air flight back to Detroit to continue treatment here.

"Just a little get-together for spring break just to catch up with each other," said Freddie Delarosa, a U-M grad student.

Freddie Delarosa says his spring break in Mexico for him and his three friends started as advertised.

"ATVs and swimming in underwater caves, it was right after that, where we decided to head back to our Air BnB,"

On their way back there was a collision with a van.

"(It was) barreling down the road toward us and smashed into us into the rear driver's side door," he said.

Freddie has no memory of what happened next.

"My injuries were a skull and pelvis fracture. I had some intense brain swelling for the first three days," he said.

Of the four in the car, the driver was hurt the least and helped coordinate getting everyone to the hospital in a foreign land.

Even though Freddie is well enough to go home, he’s not leaving yet.

"I have been here because Dipita is here, and she is still in the ICU," he said. "Yesterday makes three weeks here in Cancun."

Dipita Das has a broken arm and pelvis, a bruised lung and heart, and can't yet breathe on her own according to Freddie.

"Sometimes it’s two steps forward and one step back, is what it feels like - but she has been making progress," he said.

Getting her home to Michigan will take a lot of work and money - and so far, her insurance is not helping them out.  

"There are a lot of expenses, we are very grateful for the donations we’ve had - but now at this point, pretty much every donation will be going towards the air ambulance," he said.

An air flight will likely cost $50,000 according to their GoFundMe. Recovery will also be a long and costly process. Both want to start as soon as possible.

Freddie says he too will need some extensive rehab to recover from his brain injury and his broken pelvis.. but right now his focus is getting his friend home.

If you would like to help them, use this link to donate.