Medical Travel Today editors interviewed this individual who chooses to remain anonymous – but we heard her story first-hand. For this article, we will call her Jane Doe. Jane Doe, a single mother living in Tennessee, was interested in getting a partial facelift, but couldn’t afford a fancy price tag, and her insurance does not cover plastic/cosmetic surgery. Jane was thinking about it for a very long time, and finally went to the Internet to explore her options. Farrah Walsh, Founder, Minvera Journeys She discovered Minerva Journeys and Farah Walsh, who leads the company. “Actually I thought about doing it in Thailand or another Asian country, but then I discovered Costa Rica,” says Jane. “First of all, it is closer to the U.S., and second of all, they speak English and Spanish – and I can understand a little bit of Spanish.” Costa Rica turned out to be less expensive than Thailand – and closer to home. So Jane opted to go last September. Farah Walsh was a great help to her, every step of the way. They had a few phone calls, and Walsh provided a lot of information. “Farah provided me some things to do besides surgery, so I could be at the beach and enjoy some activities during my visit,” Jane reports. Jane also visited the renowned Costa Rican rain forest, saw some volcanoes – and even did the Zip Line! All told, she was away for 12 days. While chatting with other medical tourists at the Recovery Center, Jane realized that some of them did not have a chance to enjoy these activities that Minerva Journeys had integrated into the medical vacation package. Jane Doe even got invited to a Red Hot Chili Peppers concert by a fellow medical traveler, and enjoyed her stay at the Recovery Center. Jane’s experience with the doctor was “first class.” “The people were very nice and it was avery good experience,” she reports. “The quality was good.” Doe has not required any medical follow-up care, and is quite pleased with what she sees in the mirror. “I wasn’t expecting dramatic results since it was only the lower part of my face,” she says. “People don’t see anything, no big changes. That’s a good thing – my scars are fading.” Would she go back to Costa Rica again? “Yes, I think I would,” Jane says. Total Cost: “With all my expenses it was around $5,000.” www.minervajourneys.com Toll Free: 1.888.843.7022 [email protected]
