When teammates Kyle and Crystal “Crys” Prothro traveled to Santa Rita, Honduras, with nonprofit organization IC13 in 2023, they learned that the community was relying on an aging pickup truck to transport patients, often across difficult terrain and long distances.
This pickup truck served as a makeshift emergency transport vehicle for Santa Rita.
Today, a Roper St. Francis Healthcare LifeLink ambulance is serving the community of Santa Rita, marking the culmination of a nearly two-year effort spearheaded by the Prothros.
“Seeing the conditions firsthand made it impossible to forget,” Crys Prothro said. “We knew God had a plan for this village and how much a reliable ambulance could bless this community.”
While Roper St. Francis Healthcare serves communities across the Lowcountry, its mission reaches far beyond Charleston, carried forward by teammates who bring compassion, faith and excellence to people around the world.
Kyle Prothro serves as the health system’s Athletic Training Program Director, and his wife, Crys, is a registered nurse on the Bon Secours St. Francis Hospital Children’s Unit and a 2024 President’s Humanitarian Award honoree. The love birds with hearts of service have long been committed to global mission work through IC13, where they regularly serve underserved communities in Honduras.
During their 2023 visit, local leaders shared the community’s urgent need for reliable emergency medical transportation and asked whether IC13 could help secure an ambulance, a request that initially seemed unlikely to be fulfilled but remained top of mind for the Prothros.
In fall 2024, the Prothros raised the possibility of obtaining a retired ambulance while speaking with Kishma Rollins, LifeLink Clinical Manager, noting that if one ever became available, IC13 could potentially refurbish it for use in Honduras. A few months later, LifeLink identified an ambulance being removed from service due to unresolved electrical issues and received approval to donate the vehicle to IC13.
“We had an ambulance that was acting up and would have otherwise been sent off to be crushed,” said Rollins. “We were thrilled to see it go to such a meaningful cause and our team loved being a part of something so special.”
The donation was formally confirmed in January 2025, and on Feb. 17, the ambulance’s title was transferred to IC13 at LifeLink.
Following the transfer, the Prothros helped coordinate next steps as the team worked to address the ambulance’s electrical problems. Initial repair estimates ranged from $3,000 to $5,000, creating a significant barrier.
In spring 2025, the couple connected with MacKenzie Heath, an automotive technology instructor at the West Ashley Center for Advanced Studies, who — along with his students — assessed and repaired the ambulance at no labor cost.
Once the vehicle was operational, the Prothros continued to guide the effort as IC13 worked through the complexities of international shipping. After months of research in summer 2025, the team secured affordable transport through a Jacksonville-based shipping company. Roper St. Francis Healthcare’ Global Missions Council provided funding to cover shipping costs, and IC13 team members drove the ambulance to Jacksonville for shipment.
“It’s our mission to heal all people with compassion, faith and excellence,” said Community Health Service Line Manager Casey Brunson, who plays a large role on the Global Missions Council. “Those people don’t just have to be in Charleston. It’s a privilege to serve people overseas as well.”
The ambulance arrived in Honduras in November and was transported to Santa Rita by Christyan Garmendia, a longtime IC13 interpreter and local community member. By December, the vehicle was officially placed into service.
Crys expressed immense gratitude for all who made this donation possible, from Heath and his students to IC13 founders Ty and Lisa Hasty.
“It would be a disservice not to highlight the many hands that it took to make this possible,” she said. “We couldn’t have done it without their support.”
The Prothros and other IC13 representatives later traveled to Honduras to see the ambulance in operation and to meet with local leaders, including Santa Rita Mayor Wendy Yanez Alcadesa, to mark the milestone.
The donated ambulance has replaced the community’s former makeshift emergency transport and will significantly improve access to timely medical care.