Family Thanks Intermountain Health Flight Team for Saving Daughter After Uruguay Medical Emergency
Utah Family and Toddler Who Nearly Died in Uruguay Reunite with Intermountain Health Flight Team Who Beat the Odds to
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Utah Family and Toddler Who Nearly Died in Uruguay Reunite with Intermountain Health Flight Team Who Beat the Odds to Save Her Life
SALT LAKE CITY, UT (PRUnderground) July 29th, 2026
What began as a joyful family visit to grandparents on a church mission in Uruguay quickly became every parent’s worst nightmare when their three-year old daughter suddenly became gravely ill and was near death.
Thanks to a highly specialized flight team of caregivers from Intermountain Health who flew a specially equipped medical jet more than 6,300 miles over 18 hours to retrieve the young girl and fly her back to Utah for extensive medical care she is thriving.
Today, Estelle Santiago and her family, who live in Midway, Utah, reunited with that Intermountain Health team to say thank you and celebrate Estelle’s fourth birthday – a milestone that her parents didn’t think would be possible in January.
“We are forever indebted to them for saving Estelle’s life,” said Estelle’s mom, Ellie Santiago. “Thanks to their dedication, skill, and swift action, our daughter is still with us today and for that we are eternally thankful. They’re truly angels.”
On January 7, 2026, a call came into the Intermountain Health Transfer Center in Salt Lake City about a critically ill three‑year‑old Utah patient who had suddenly fallen gravely sick while visiting Uruguay.
The Santiago family had traveled thousands of miles to celebrate the holidays; now they were sending frantic messages, terrified and pleading for help.
Estelle had been diagnosed with Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome (HUS) – a condition so severe that by the time she reached the hospital, she was seizing, in renal failure, and soon spiraled into respiratory and cardiac failure. Her parents, Michael and Ellie, needed to bring Estelle home for advanced medical care, and they needed it fast.
Within hours, their health insurance approved authorization for the medical flight to Uruguay. The Intermountain Health Flight & Ambulance team immediately began the landing‑permit process – a step that typically takes 7 to 10 days.
Jon Woods, MD, a University of Utah Health/Intermountain Primary Children’s Hospital pediatric critical care physician, stepped in as medical control of the flight to coordinate Estelle’s care with physicians at British Hospital of Montevideo in Uruguay, as well as oversee her care during the long flight home.
As Intermountain Health’s first international pediatric transport patient, Estelle would need around-the-clock care during the global flight
Dr. Wood’s first task was to understand Estelle’s condition and assess whether she could survive a medical transport of this magnitude. The medical team at British Hospital of Montevideo told Dr. Woods that Estelle was so sick, they weren’t sure she would make it through the flight.
Despite the gravity of her condition, Dr. Woods was deeply moved by the effort of the medical team in Uruguay and the care she was receiving at the hospital there.
He also knew that Estelle would receive the best care possible while being transported home on the Intermountain long-range medical jet – a Bombardier Challenger 604 – an airborne ICU that has a range of 4,600 miles.
Still, the biggest challenge lay ahead: Estelle’s continuous dialysis would have to be paused during transport. Even so, Dr. Woods assured both teams that the Intermountain Health Flight & Ambulance team crew was capable, prepared, and ready.
And then, something extraordinary happened. The landing permit was approved in just 24 hours. That moment shifted the medical mission from “if” to “how fast.”
On January 9, the Intermountain flight crew of three medical team members and four pilots launched south. After overnighting in Peru, two pilots and the medical crew continued to Montevideo, Uruguay.
When they arrived, Estelle was intubated and supported by 6-7 drips managing her blood pressure, cardiac output, and sedation. The magnitude of the moment was not lost on anyone, especially the crew who would shoulder her care for the next 18 hours.
The 18‑Hour Journey Home
On January 11, the Intermountain Health team began the long journey north – first to Peru for fuel and a pilot swap, then to Brownsville, Texas, for customs, and finally home to Salt Lake City.
The operation required flawless coordination not just in the air, but also on the ground.
“The speed and efficiency necessary to make the transport safe, rapid, and successful were extraordinary,” said Intermountain Health Flight & Ambulance Nurse Rose Linsler, RN, who was at Estelle’s side throughout the flight. “On Wednesday night we first heard about our patient. By early Friday morning, we were departing for Uruguay, and by that Sunday night, Estelle was in her ICU bed at Primary Children’s Hospital getting the care she needed.”
“Like all our transports, this was a massive team effort,” said Bracken Mecham, an Intermountain air ambulance pilot who was part of Estelle’s flight team. “Everyone – from coordinators to communications specialists, mechanics, medical personnel, and pilots – worked tirelessly for days to safely bring Estelle home.
When the Intermountain medical jet finally landed in Salt Lake, Estelle was transported directly to the pediatric ICU at Intermountain Primary Children’s Hospital.
For the first time in many days, her parents were back in Utah with their daughter. Estelle’s dad, Michael, said the experience was a roller coaster of emotions for he and Ellie.
“We felt completely helpless as Estelle’s condition spiraled out of control in Uruguay. The moment the Intermountain team landed there, we felt relief and gratitude beyond words, like the cavalry had arrived,” he said. “We will never forget the overwhelming peace that washed over us when she was wheeled into her PICU room at Primary Children’s Hospital. Although she wasn’t out of the woods, we could finally breathe, knowing she was in the best possible hands.”
Estelle would spend several weeks hospitalized at Intermountain Primary Children’s Hospital, progressing from the intensive care unit care to rehabilitation before she was finally able to go home.
While she recovered in the hospital, Estelle’s parents sent the air ambulance team a video update of her condition.
“There was Estelle sitting upright on her mother’s lap,” said Linsler with a smile. “No ventilator. No continuous EEG. No dialysis. Just a toddler taking tiny sips from a spoon. It was wonderful.”
“I love developing relationships with families – some lasting only the duration of the transport, some a lifetime,” she added. “They are such a lovely family. I feel honored to have met them and privileged to help bring their daughter home.”
Today, Estelle is doing well and continues to get stronger each day, her parents say.
“Estelle is doing incredible,” said Ellie. “She has led her own recovery with a positive attitude and endless energy. Six months ago, if we could have seen the level to which she has recovered, we would not have believed it. She has a few lingering problems, but nothing that will hold her back. Estelle is on track to make a full recovery and we’re so grateful.”
Intermountain Health added the Bombardier Challenger 604 medical jet to its air ambulance fleet in in 2022 for long-range global flights like one that helped Estelle. It is also used for organ retrievals for transplant patients. The aircraft is unique as it has a large cabin area that can accommodate two patients, the medical team, and allow for complex medical procedures while in flight.
About Intermountain Health
Headquartered in Utah with locations in six states and additional operations across the western U.S., Intermountain Health is a nonprofit system of 34 hospitals, approximately 400 clinics, medical groups with some 4,600 employed physicians and advanced care providers, a nonprofit health plan called Select Health with more than one million members, and other health services. Helping people live the healthiest lives possible, Intermountain is committed to improving community health and is widely recognized as a leader in transforming healthcare by using evidence-based best practices to consistently deliver high-quality outcomes at sustainable costs. For up-to-date information and announcements, please see the Intermountain Health newsroom at https://news.intermountainhealth.org/. For more information, see intermountainhealth.org/ or call 801-442-2000.
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