Kitchener-Waterloo

Canadian man to come home from Thailand for emergency brain surgery

A doctor found a large tumour in Alex Witmer's brain while he and his wife were in Thailand

Julianne Hazlewood · CBC News

 

Alex and Jennifer Witmer were taking a six-week trip to Thailand when Alex was diagnosed with a brain tumour. (Source: Facebook)

 

A Canadian couple travelling in Thailand has won a fight with their travel insurance company to return home for emergency surgery by air ambulance.

 

Alex and Jennifer Witmer were on a six-week vacation in Thailand when a bad headache over several days took Alex to hospital. He was diagnosed with "a very large malignant brain tumour," his wife Jennifer Witmer said. 

 

The diagnosis came just last week, said Witmer, but in the last 12 hours her husband's condition has worsened.

 

"He's in and out. You can see a difference today compared to yesterday," Jennifer Witmer told CBC News from the island of Koh Samui in Thailand. "He wants to see his family really badly." 

 

Doctors have said Alex needs a drain to relieve the pressure in his brain. An air ambulance, which costs $265,000, is needed to get him back home for the procedure, according to Jennifer.

 

Full story: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/kitchener-waterloo/kitchener-thailand-witmer-alex-jennifer-1.5390562

 

-- CBC 2019-12-11

 

Related story:

Canadian man to come home from Thailand for emergency brain surgery

https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1137939-canadian-diagnosed-with-brain-tumour-in-thailand-has-travel-insurance-declined-because-he-had-the-flu-a-month-ago/

 

Good news. Hope he makes a full recovery. 

All the best to you. Shame you had to fight a huge company from your hospital bed.

You've beaten them, now let's hope you beat the tumor too.

I don't know if it is the publicity that has shamed the insurance company into paying, but good news regardless. He is not out of the woods by a long way, but I am sure this will be good for his morale facing up to the fight ahead.

they cannot do the operation in thailand or fly business and have a drip / bag for his brain situation ?

They can do the operation here but I think that they want to be home with family.  Also Allianz will probably not pay for the med coverage but will reimburse them. 

 

Let's face it a lot can happen so being home with family is probably the best thing.  Going business or on a commercail flight would be more dangerous as there is no way to look after them and no direct flights to Toronto.

without bad publicity against this insurance mafia this man would of died here, they calculated the quarter mill invaluable to save face, scum of the world..

That's very good news, I hope he pulls through okay, I had a friend back in the UK went to the Dr complaining of severe Migraine attacks, turns out she had a massive tumour in her brain as well, Long story short: Underwent extensive surgery / Chemotherapy etc, at one point was only given 3 weeks to live, 10 years later she's still alive and kicking, so there is hope, I have fingers crossed for him, it would be nice if we could have a follow up on this.

 

Bar steward insurance companies.  

excellent to hear insurance will cover it. just wondering if it would not be safer to place a drain in thailand before the flight because if he decompensates during the flight it would be a drain that would likely be needed urgently. something that could not be done on an air ambulance.

 

if i were in his shoes would want a drain already in place prior to long flight.

9 hours ago, darksidedog said:

I don't know if it is the publicity that has shamed the insurance company into paying, but good news regardless. He is not out of the woods by a long way, but I am sure this will be good for his morale facing up to the fight ahead.

I hope the bad publicity did something to shake the insurance company into doing the right thing.... 

good luck to the young man and couple... keep fighting.

 

Was expected once he filed an appeal with the ombudsman

 

hope he gets well soon and makes full recovery 

1 hour ago, atyclb said:

excellent to hear insurance will cover it. just wondering if it would not be safer to place a drain in thailand before the flight because if he decompensates during the flight it would be a drain that would likely be needed urgently. something that could not be done on an air ambulance.

 

if i were in his shoes would want a drain already in place prior to long flight.

I had the same thought.  He's on Samui so capacities are limited but with all the MVAs they have there  you'd think they could manage burr holes and a drain.

God's speed and good luck brother!

56 minutes ago, Sheryl said:

2 hours ago, atyclb said:

excellent to hear insurance will cover it. just wondering if it would not be safer to place a drain in thailand before the flight because if he decompensates during the flight it would be a drain that would likely be needed urgently. something that could not be done on an air ambulance.

 

if i were in his shoes would want a drain already in place prior to long flight.

I had the same thought.  He's on Samui so capacities are limited but with all the MVAs they have there  you'd think they could manage burr holes and a drain.

 

yup.

 

per bkk hospital samui webpage there are 2 neurosurgeons on staff.  suratthani is a big city not far.

 

https://www.neurosurgicalatlas.com/volumes/csf-diversion-procedures/external-ventricular-drain

I would have thought surgery here was a cheaper and safer option than flying him home!

On ‎12‎/‎11‎/‎2019 at 9:04 AM, darksidedog said:

I don't know if it is the publicity that has shamed the insurance company into paying, but good news regardless. He is not out of the woods by a long way, but I am sure this will be good for his morale facing up to the fight ahead.

I think it was, insurance companies play the numbers game, refuse see who makes a fuzz, when too much resistance pay. Most people don't start to fight the decision.

Canadian diagnosed with brain tumour in Thailand undergoes surgery, wife says he is suffering

TORONTO -- The wife of a Canadian diagnosed with a brain tumour in Thailand said her husband has undergone surgery to have a drain inserted into his head in an effort to relieve some pressure before his hopeful return home despite his condition deteriorating.

 

https://toronto.ctvnews.ca/canadian-diagnosed-with-brain-tumour-in-thailand-undergoes-surgery-wife-says-he-is-suffering-1.4725188

some followup.

 

looks like prudence and common sense prevailed and he had a drain placed in thailand prior to flight

 

https://toronto.ctvnews.ca/canadian-diagnosed-with-brain-tumour-in-thailand-undergoes-surgery-wife-says-he-is-suffering-1.4725188