Lake Forest Police Officer Filip Czarnecki arrived at Northwestern Memorial Hospital on Wednesday, Sept. 9, after a medical evacuation flight from Nicaragua. A community fundraising campaign raised nearly $190,000 to bring him home.

The flight left Managua around 1:30 p.m. and landed at Chicago Midway International Airport around 7 p.m., Lake and McHenry County Scanner reported. Czarnecki was transported to Northwestern Memorial after landing.

Czarnecki, a four-year veteran of the Lake Forest Police Department assigned to the night shift, suffered a severe Grade 3 traumatic brain injury after falling and striking his head while visiting family in Nicaragua. He was initially placed in a coma on a ventilator at a hospital in León, Nicaragua, then transferred to a facility in Managua.

As we reported Wednesday, a GoFundMe campaign organized by Paul Daizovi, a Lake Forest resident and co-worker of Czarnecki's wife, Nikki Dezonno, had already topped $180,000. By Thursday, Sept. 10, the total reached almost $190,000 from more than 1,200 donors, according to the Scanner. The funds covered the specialized fixed-wing air ambulance, international hospital bills, ongoing medical care and family travel expenses.

Czarnecki's family released a statement Wednesday calling the flight home a major victory and an incredible step forward. They added that the road ahead remains unknown and his recovery is only beginning.

At Northwestern Memorial, Czarnecki can receive advanced brain scans and what the family described as more progressive treatment to address his traumatic brain injury and reduce long-term neurological damage.

The Lake Forest Police Department learned of the accident around Sept. 4 and coordinated with the U.S. State Department and the office of Rep. Brad Schneider (D-Ill.) to help clear obstacles to Czarnecki's return. Schneider told Fox 32 Chicago that his staff began working the case before he personally heard about it, and that paperwork obstacles were resolved while he was on the phone with the police chief.

Lake Forest Police Chief John Burke called Czarnecki "a great police officer and an important member of our Department" in a statement to Lake and McHenry County Scanner. Burke said there has been an outpouring of support from co-workers and the Lake Forest community.

Czarnecki grew up in Chicago and attended Lane Tech High School. He was recognized in 2025 by the Alliance Against Intoxicated Motorists for his DUI enforcement work.

No timeline for his recovery has been announced. The GoFundMe campaign remains open for donations.