A father from Hull is hospitalized in Thailand and faces amputation of a limb due to a possible scorpion bite.
Alan Stephenson, age 73, was injured while on vacation in South-East Asia and has subsequently developed a flesh-eating disease that has eaten away the skin and flesh between his foot and knee.
Now, his family is desperate to bring him home, but doing so will cost them £18,000.
His 44-year-old son, Kristian Stephenson, braved a difficult trek to join his father in a remote region of the country, kilometers from the nearest city.
When he got reached Alan’s bedside, he worried for his father’s life upon discovering his condition.
He reported seeing cockroaches on the hospital ceiling and feral cats consuming patient meals.
His father was in a condition of “extreme anguish” and disorientation, unable to recall where his visa or documents were.
“It resembled something from Banged Up Abroad,” said Kristian.
The hospital was horrible and lacked the resources necessary to treat his limb. I thought, ‘This is where he will die.’
Eventually, Kristian was able to transfer his father to a different hospital, but despite a doctor in the United Kingdom saying that it may be possible to save Alan’s leg, the family is facing a hefty expense to return him home because a medical repatriation team would be required.
Now, Kristian has established a Just Giving website in order to raise the requisite thousands of pounds.
Similar to his parents, Kristian is no stranger to traveling all over the world.
Alan, a native of Bilton, had traveled to Thailand to spend a few months touring the country. However, after being bitten by what he assumed to be a scorpion, he phoned Kristian on November 9 to report that he was in the hospital and his condition was deteriorating.
Alan has diabetes, and it is believed that this caused his leg to become red and swelled.
Shortly thereafter, Alan was diagnosed with a flesh-eating condition due to an infection.
He has been informed that amputation is his only viable option.
After receiving the call from his father, Kristian immediately left for Thailand.
“His leg was horrifying, but his bed sores were far worse because he wasn’t being rolled over or helped out of bed,” Kristian added.
‘While this was occurring, the hotel where he had been staying demanded he leave and took his stuff to cover the cost, and the hospital was asking an exorbitant amount of cash for medical costs.
As the area was so isolated, the closest ATM was almost an hour away, and there was nowhere nearby to purchase a refreshing drink. The walk to the hospital was around 3 kilometers.
Alan’s family decided to transfer him to a hospital in a tiny town that was “far better but also more expensive.”
Doctors at the second hospital stated they would be able to amputate Alan’s infected limb, but according to Kristian, the procedure has been rescheduled multiple times, resulting in the family incurring increasing hospital costs.
Kristian has requested assistance from the British Embassy with limited success.
Karl Turner, his representative in Hull, assists him. Kristian continued, ‘The British Embassy has showed little interest in the case, and due to the time difference, we frequently await responses.
“We have been informed that the government will not help to the cost of saving my father by flying him home.”
Karl Turner has been in contact with me virtually every day with advice and has informed me that he is communicating with those above him, but I am aware that he can only do so much.
I was told to contact a medical repatriation team in order to transport my father home, as a regular aircraft would be unable to do so.
He added, ‘By sheer good fortune, we have identified a company with which I immediately felt a connection, as its CEO is also from East Yorkshire.
My father has received a certificate stating that he is able to fly, and he is beginning to look better in himself. However, we must now raise £18,000 to pay for the service at the lowest feasible fee.
Kristian has exhausted all efforts to obtain funds from his family and has used his own savings to cover medical expenses.
In addition, he and his wife had recently paid £3,000 for airfares to visit his father in Bangkok in December – arranged before he was injured – and claim they are being denied a refund.
The medical repatriation business suggested launching a Just Giving page, which has already raised £4,607.
Kristian stated, “The current idea is to relocate my father to Hull permanently and save his life.” We are aware that he will likely be crippled for the rest of his life, but we hope he can recover somewhat.’
Karl Turner stated that he was urging the minister to provide the family with the necessary assistance.
He added, ‘Since Kristian contacted my office about his father’s situation, I have been in constant contact with government ministers to see if they can assist with Alan’s repatriation to the United Kingdom.
“I am aware that Kristian is currently with Alan, but he is apparently having difficulty obtaining assistance from British consular teams in Thailand.”
I will continue to exert pressure on government ministers to ensure that Kristian and Alan receive the necessary support during this incredibly troubling time.