21 July, 2017
A baby boy born premature to an IN couple while they vacationed IN Mexico is back IN the United States.
"Literally they're being held hostage down there", said Larry Sr.
Carolyn Hutson is closely monitoring updates in IN, where her friends live, as they await the return of their loved ones and the couples' newborn baby, Beckham Ralph.
"Our daughter is stuck in Cancun, with our first grandchild and we can't get him here", said Elaine Smith, mother of Michaela Smith.
Little Beckham was born three months early Tuesday, while his parents, Michaela Smith and Larry Ralph, were in Mexico for one last vacation before his arrival.
"Every time they talked to him, it was 'well you owe this much more now", Hutson said. He weighed just two pounds, eight ounces.
"We've raised money, we've pulled our resources, we've put money out there, but all we want is our grandson to be released from Mexico with his mother and dad", said Ralph Sr.
"This Mexican hospital was extorting this family, continuing to ask for more and more money almost every hour to release him", said U.S. Rep. Trey Hollingsworth (R-IN).
"Larry went that whole evening without seeing the baby", said Larry Sr".
"They are in IN!" the family posted to the GoFundMe page Thursday night.
The family has already paid $9,000 for the first day of care and then an additional $4,000 for various "fees". And even that total doesn't include the money the four grandparents spent on the air ambulance.
"The air ambulance was paid for to St. Petersburg Hospital, that was around $18,000", said Ralph Sr. "We would've thought Florida would've been our best chance". Congressman Trey Hollingsworth (R-Bloomington, Ind.) and the state department helped obtain a birth certificate and a medical jet for the child. "Representative Hollingsworth continues to assist and looks forward to greeting this new Hoosier as soon as he is home and healthy".
With Beckham back home, the family said they thank the community for their support.
However, the family is struggling to find a hospital in Florida that will accept Michaela's in health insurance plan.
Meanwhile, the cost of his care in Mexico keeps climbing.
The child's grandmother contacted WISH-TV in the early morning hours of Thursday saying a plan may have been in place to welcome the baby named Beckham and his parents by late in the afternoon.
The family has set up a GoFundMe to help bring Beckham home.
