TRAPPED IN TOGO

Casey McCoy admits he has shed a lot of tears, mostly out of fright, as he fears for his safety in an unfamiliar country thousands of miles away.
McCoy, a 2007 Minneota High School graduate, flew to Lomé, Togo in West Africa to attend the wedding of his boss and best friend, Tyler Grinder, who was marrying a woman from there.
McCoy, who lives in Dell Rapids, SD, is employed with Global Life, Family Heritage Division based in Sioux Falls. Grinder is his director.
After attending the wedding, McCoy's life took a 360-degree turn for the worse. He tested positive for COVID and for the last 13 days (as of Wednesday, Jan. 5), the personable McCoy has been relegated to an unsanitary room infested with mold and bugs as he anxiously awaits his release.
"I am terrified by this whole ordeal," he said in a conversation with the Mascot.
To make matters worse, McCoy has no idea what is going on with his testing, had to miss Christmas and New Year's with his family, and then missed the 11th birthday of his daughter, Ellie, on Jan. 3.
"If there is one thing I could ask for, it's that everybody wish her a Happy Birthday," Casey insisted.
McCoy and his girlfriend, Lacie Packard, arrived in Lomé, the largest city in Togo in West Africa, on Dec. 16. Eight others, not counting the bride and groom, also flew to Lomé to attend the wedding.
"We all had different flights to get here with the same goal, to celebrate an amazing couple," McCoy told.
There would be two weddings on consecutive days, one a traditional Togolese wedding on Dec. 17 and the other a church wedding and reception on Dec. 18.
Two days later, as required before boarding a plane, Casey was tested for COVID and it turned up positive.
"Lacie and I were to go to Dubai on the 22nd and they required a 72-hour negative test, so we tested on Dec. 20," Casey said. "While waiting for that result, they changed the requirements to go to Dubai, so we changed our ticket back to the United States. But they needed a 24-hour negative test, so we took another test on Dec. 22."
The results of that test showed McCoy was positive at the time the Dec. 20 test results came in. On Dec. 23, McCoy learned the new result showed he was negative, so he and Lacie headed to the airport to come home.
"They said they ran a code on my test results which showed I was positive," he tried to explain, even though he is still unsure of the explanations he has been given. "The U.S. Embassy later identified that my passport number was wrong on this test, which led to the confusion on the results."
McCoy admittedly was not vaccinated at the time of his tests.
Casey was escorted by the military via ambulance with the emergency lights and sirens engaged to a hotel-like building where he would be quarantined.
"I was told I was going to get another test, not that I was going to be locked down here," he said. "I have spent all these days in the most unsanitary conditions with a liter of water a day and not much food provided."
After a lengthy discussion with Lacie, McCoy was able to convince her to return to the States.
"She argued with me in the airport because she wanted to stay with me," he said. "I told her she needed to go home when she could. We cried saying goodbye, but she needed to go. It was best for our family. I feel for her. She's put her life and our lives on hold to make calls and fight for me."
McCoy's parents, Lois and Vernon Heald of Minneota, along with Lacie, have been able to make connections of Casey's plight with the proper authorities who made the U.S. Embassy in West Africa aware of the situation. Members of the U.S. Embassy personnel visited with McCoy last week to gauge the situation, but were not allowed past the lobby.
"When the personnel from the U.S. Embassy came to speak with me, the workers here refused to let them past the lobby and made me come down and meet them there," McCoy explained. "The lobby is a five-star. Based off the lobby, I would pay to stay here, but they wouldn't let the U.S. Embassy personnel come up to see the room I was in."
The room McCoy is quarantined in is similar to a hotel and has windows, but is run down and unsanitary with mold, mildew, odors and bugs, although the lobby is clean and sanitary.
"(U.S. Embassy personnel) informed me that due to not having a treaty with Togo, they can't do a lot, but could do some things. I was never sick. After spending all these days here in mold-infested conditions and having allergies/asthma, I have had some medical issues."
McCoy revealed that workers at the place he is quarantined have gained entrance into his locked room and demanded his passport. He also noted that the workers have pushed him around.
"They want my passport so I will end up staying here longer so they can get more money from wherever they are getting it," McCoy said. "We're not sure if the U.S. Embassy is giving them money or what exactly is going on, but it seems like the longer they can keep me here, the more money they can get."
McCoy gave his passport to Grinder to hold for him so the guards can't take it from him.
One thing that has helped McCoy through this ordeal is the help of Grinder, who is staying a few miles from the building McCoy is quarantined in.
"Without him, I wouldn't have water daily, or the comfort foods be can bring me when they allow it," McCoy said. "He has to pay the guards each day to bring me things. They always want money for everything. One night, I got to eat pizza that Tyler brought from the 5-star hotel that I can see from my balcony. It was so good. I am lucky to have him as a friend, let alone have him here."
Every time McCoy feels there is good news on the horizon, it turned out to be false hope.
"I took a test on Dec. 29 and another on Dec. 30 and they said they were positive, but would provide me no proof," McCoy said. "I took another on Jan. 1 and was told it was for control purposes.
"They won't show me my results, they only tell them to me. To see them and to see my levels, it will cost me money. I have plenty of money, just not accessible money. They do not allow me access to an ATM machine, and if Tyler gives me money, they just take it before I can get it and use it for what I need."
McCoy was informed that the test he took on Saturday, Jan. 1 came back negative.
"I fulfilled their requirements of 10 days and a negative test," said McCoy on Sunday, Jan. 2. "Now they want to hold me until Tuesday (Jan. 4) and re-test me again. I'd get the results on Wednesday and then have to take another test and get the results within 24 hours to fly back to the States. Friday would be the earliest I can fly out, but that flight is all sold out, so it would be Saturday at the earliest."
Several political figures and national news organizations have become aware of the situation and are trying to do what they can to return McCoy to the United States.
For now, McCoy is trying to be patient, but it is admittedly wearing thin.
"This is a bunch of crap," he said. "I keep telling myself that Lacie and Ellie need me, my family needs me. Even if I can be a pain, they need me."
LATE UPDATE: Casey’s latest test turned up positive. However, he will be released to quarantine at a place of his choosing because (a) the doctors have agreed that the extreme stress Casey had been under is impeding his healing process, and (b) Casey has agreed to meet with the second highest ranking official in Togolese government to provide a sworn statement on how the doctors and guards have made him pay them to test on Dec. 22 at the airport, above and beyond the normal cost. The second highest ranking official has been investigating corruption within their testing facilities and Casey’s testimony will be an important step to controlling and stopping it.