Granddaughter Eva, John Horsley, daughter Janet Cowen and grandson Josh (Image: Janet Cowen)

 

He has a "50/50" chance of surviving as medical bills mount up

 

By Tom Hitchenor

 

A Northamptonshire family has issued a desperate plea for a grandfather seriously ill in Thailand. Janet Cowen, 37, from Desborough said her father has a "50/50" chance of surviving as medical bills for his treatment mount up.

 

John Horsley, 77, an ex-professional footballer for Coventry City and Shrewsbury Town, was admitted to hospital on Sunday, September 25. He was "sorting out his affairs" in Thailand with a view to moving back in with his daughter.

 

However, he fell ill and his health deteriorated to the point where he wouldn't have been able to make a flight back. Mum-of-two Janet said: "He suffers from Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) and emphysema.

 

"He's not been right and has been struggling with his breathing. He had not been sleeping or eating for a few days and was feeling really unwell.

 

"In the end, they took him in by ambulance to hospital and was moved into intensive care. We managed to do a call this morning (September 30) and see him.

 

Full story: https://www.northantslive.news/news/northamptonshire-news/northamptonshire-family-makes-desperate-plea-7649265

 

-- © Copyright Northants Live 2022-10-04

 

- Cigna offers a range of visa-compliant plans that meet the minimum requirement of medical treatment, including COVID-19, up to THB 3m. For more information on all expat health insurance plans click here.

 

Monthly car subscription with first-class insurance, 24x7 assistance and more in one price - click here to find out more!

I have some sympathy for the poor guy. That one is a killer.

I too suffer from COPD and there is not a lot that the docs here can do.

Even if he has insurance, eventually, the insurance companies stop paying out.

Good luck sir.

Whilst I have some sympathy for the guy and I hope he quickly recovers, these types of stories are becoming too frequent.

Bottom line, if you don't have the funds (to cover your medical/emergency bills), you shouldn't be here.

I am guessing this is one of those "I self insure" guys who always post here

Or the type that always say well if something bad happens I can just fly home & get treated for free

 

Sorry 0 Sympathy????

53 minutes ago, South said:

Bottom line, if you don't have the funds (to cover your medical/emergency bills), you shouldn't be here.

I would disagree, I don't expect (nor desire) to live to age 77.

But I would like to choose where I die, which is not in a UK nursing home.

No need to run up expensive medical bills, accept death when it comes.

 

I don't 'self-insure' or have any insurance, and don't intend to pay for long term medical care. It's not required, at 66 I've already had my life.

Edited October 4, 20223 yr by BritManToo

1 hour ago, webfact said:

ex-professional footballer

Should be cashed up. 

 

Something fishy here. 

 

46 minutes ago, mania said:

I am guessing this is one of those "I self insure" guys who always post here

Or the type that always say well if something bad happens I can just fly home & get treated for free

 

Sorry 0 Sympathy????

Fancy reading one article, judging someone by it and loudly proclaiming you have no sympathy - did your mum not warm your milk or something this morning? 

Irrespective of this case, this is a serious issue in general 

As we approach  zero hour, insured or not, family here or not , a lot of things can go pear-shaped.

I know of a few who finally capitulated and went back.

The only wise option after a certain age...assuming you are capable of carrying it out of course (money, no mobility/senility issues etc)

Going home, that is..

Of course there is always the 'Buddhist monk' option..

It works for the Thais..????

 

 

 

 

Edited October 4, 20223 yr by VinnieK

1 hour ago, SAFETY FIRST said:

Should be cashed up. 

 

Something fishy here. 

 

Why should he be cashed up, any idea what footballers wages were when he was playing for these clubs or how many years he played for them, when he finished playing? I haven't, so over to you.

Edited October 4, 20223 yr by roo860

At least he's in a government hospital. That should help keep the bill down.

26 minutes ago, roo860 said:

Why should he be cashed up, any idea what footballers wages were when he was playing for these clubs or how many years he played for them, when he finished playing? I haven't, so over to you.

I don't follow the European football (soccer), I'm NRL. 

 

I just regularly read the millions and millions of dollars these guys earn. 

 

3 hours ago, SAFETY FIRST said:

I don't follow the European football (soccer), I'm NRL. 

 

I just regularly read the millions and millions of dollars these guys earn. 

 

You know what league both these teams played in? No you don't, It's better sometimes to keep your comments to yourself when you know nothing about the guys past life and what he actually did.

1 hour ago, SAFETY FIRST said:

Should be cashed up. 

 

Something fishy here. 

Not for someone playing in the 1960's - 70's (which is probably when he was playing, given his age).

 

When Kevin Keegan signed for Liverpool in 1971 he was getting a basic wage of £50 a week. And that's for one of England's best players at one of England's top clubs.

 

Somebody playing at Coventry and Shrewsbury would have been getting considerably less.

 

The era of footballers earning more than the average worker didn't start till the 80's or 90's, with the influx of foreign players. And footballer's careers can be incredibly short - most are lucky to get as long as 15 years at the top level.

 

Even if this guy played for that long (and we don't know that he did) he wouldn't have amassed much of a nest egg with the wages they got back then.

Edited October 4, 20223 yr by GroveHillWanderer

4 minutes ago, GroveHillWanderer said:

Not for someone playing in the 1960's - 70's (which is probably when he was playing, given his age).

 

When Kevin Keegan signed for Liverpool in 1971 he was getting a basic wage of £50 a week. And that's for one of England's best players at one of England's top clubs.

 

Somebody playing at Coventry and Shrewsbury would have been getting considerably less.

 

The era of footballers earning more than the average worker didn't start till the 80's or 90's, with the influx of foreign players. And footballer's careers can be incredibly short - most are lucky to get as long as 15 years at the top level.

 

Even if this guy played for that long (and we don't know that he did) he wouldn't have amassed much of a nest egg with the wages they got back then.

Thanks!!!????????

2 minutes ago, GroveHillWanderer said:

Even if this guy played for that long (and we don't know that he did) he wouldn't have amassed much of a nest egg with the wages they got back then

But he must have had a job in between soccer and retirement. It could have been a lucrative job and he could be well off? We will never know the truth.

2 hours ago, BritManToo said:

I would disagree, I don't expect (nor desire) to live to age 77.

But I would like to choose where I die, which is not in a UK nursing home.

No need to run up expensive medical bills, accept death when it comes.

 

I don't 'self-insure' or have any insurance, and don't intend to pay for long term medical care. It's not required, at 66 I've already had my life.

Not many people refuse treatment when you need to goto the hospital.

 

The article is typically what happens. You end up there and the system takes over. They don't just let you die. Your treated and the bills pile up.

 

What are you going to do if you have a heart attack or are in pain?

Edited October 4, 20223 yr by JimTripper

If he goes back the the UK, the NHS will put him on an 'end of life pathway.'
That is, if he can find a bed in an NHS facility. 
As a 70 year old all I can say is that he should have thought this out way before this.  77 imho is the span of a good life.  He should get his affairs in order and seek to check out as painlessly as possible.  Heck, 70 is a good life span.  I just want to be relatively comfortable before I go.  No asking family in the US to 'save me.'  My chosen family is here.  I'll die here. 

But, best of luck to Mr. John.

5 hours ago, SAFETY FIRST said:

Should be cashed up.

 

Wages were a pittance when he was playing in the 60's

3 minutes ago, JimTripper said:

Not many people refuse treatment when you need to goto the hospital.

 

The article is typically what happens. You end up there and the system takes over. They don't just let you die. Your treated and the bills pile up.

 

What are you going to do if you have a heart attack or are in pain?

Pains the issue.  Not the heart attack.  Most expat I know would want to go to the best coronary clinic in Thailand.  Once over 70, just accept it. 
Have a good Living Will drawn up by a lawyer.  Now that I'm thinking about it, I may put my lawyer on a retainer to act on my behalf in case a hospital tries to treat me outside the the bounds of the Living Will.

 

2 hours ago, BritManToo said:

I would disagree, I don't expect (nor desire) to live to age 77.

But I would like to choose where I die, which is not in a UK nursing home.

No need to run up expensive medical bills, accept death when it comes.

 

I don't 'self-insure' or have any insurance, and don't intend to pay for long term medical care. It's not required, at 66 I've already had my life.

so you're in denial

what happens if you become incapacitated, who will you burden with the problems you can longer fix

 

15 minutes ago, JimTripper said:

Not many people refuse treatment when you need to goto the hospital.

 

The article is typically what happens. You end up there and the system takes over. They don't just let you die. Your treated and the bills pile up.

 

What are you going to do if you have a heart attack or are in pain?

I'm planning to die!

4 hours ago, Tropicalevo said:

I have some sympathy for the poor guy. That one is a killer.

I too suffer from COPD and there is not a lot that the docs here can do.

Even if he has insurance, eventually, the insurance companies stop paying out.

Good luck sir.

Is COPD caused by smoking?

If he was French or Dutch he would be covered. Poor Brits 

2 hours ago, BritManToo said:

I would disagree, I don't expect (nor desire) to live to age 77.

But I would like to choose where I die, which is not in a UK nursing home.

No need to run up expensive medical bills, accept death when it comes.

 

I don't 'self-insure' or have any insurance, and don't intend to pay for long term medical care. It's not required, at 66 I've already had my life.

Totally agree with you, and I have made it to 75 with no serious problems. 

Stopped paying Health Insurance at Bht 12000 a month so have plenty for beer, vino & weed !

No sympathy,  NEXT!

25 minutes ago, arick said:

If he was French or Dutch he would be covered. Poor Brits 

Covered where, Thailand?

as per his go f me page he has no insurance.

On 9/24/2022 at 1:48 PM, CharlieH said:

Why not contact them through the facebook page and ask ?

 

3 hours ago, BritManToo said:

I would disagree, I don't expect (nor desire) to live to age 77.

But I would like to choose where I die, which is not in a UK nursing home.

No need to run up expensive medical bills, accept death when it comes.

 

I don't 'self-insure' or have any insurance, and don't intend to pay for long term medical care. It's not required, at 66 I've already had my life.

Crikey! I'm 66 too and I'm just getting started. I mean to make the most of the time left to me. I'd like to know where I was going to die too. Then I wouldn't go there. ????

Edited October 4, 20223 yr by Baht Simpson

10 minutes ago, orchis said:

as per his go f me page he has no insurance.

Must of missed that bit, didn't see anything about a Go Fund Me Page.............can it be posted??    

 

Also, appears to be no mention of a "Mrs SomChai" in the mix.  I ask because a dear friend of mine died of COPD in about ten years back - we all suspet "Mrs SomChai" just told the hospital he didn't have medical insurance, they tansferred him to a Govt facility and he was dead in 3 days after that.  "Mrs SomChai" took the life insurance money and moved to Australia.  Highly suspect, but due to the Buddhist creamation rules, no evidense, nothing left but a picture of him on a stone in a temple......................

So much negative things written today the guy is ill who knows about his past income or lack of it and my age I have real good insurance out of the UK I have a LivingWell and another will upon my death I would trust a guy here to be my executor And I put a much put in the wall everything I wish to happen including to myself to not be put on machines just for the sake of keeping me alive just give me some morphine for pain and let me go out painless people who don’t plan for these things usually end up not so well so all I can say is plan ahead Enjoy your life living is good and life is very short TIT