Thailand holidays are great fun until they go wrong as a Brit tourist found out. Now, a fundraiser to get her home reached close to the original half-way mark in just five days. The British woman, Sophie Wilson, was just one week into a six-month trip, iNews UK reported. Insurance wouldn't pay for her medical costs so the family needed help to get her home. The public stepped up to help out after they started a GoFundMe for her.
Thailand public hospitals not up to British standards
According to iNews, the UK government does warn people about going to Thailand as public hospitals may not have terrifically high standards, and private hospitals, while excellent, can be "expensive." Before going on her holiday Sophie did make certain to get insurance cover.
Unfortunately, the company Insure and Go, won't cover her medical fees or travel expenses. Sophie, along with loads of others dove into a pool. It was much shallower than she expected, and she broke her neck. Showing up at her hospital, one of the insurance reps said they wouldn't pay as she had "carried out a reckless act."
The family is moving on to find a way to get Sophie home. They needed to guarantee payment before Sophie could have her operation to the two breaks in her neck. Now, while it's not certain she will ever walk again, the family is keen to get her home and treated in the UK. Her sister set up the fundraising campaign.
GoFundMe well on the way to help Sophie home
The GoFundMe fundraiser started on December 11 with a goal of £60,000.
Thanks to the big-hearted response, so far they reached close to the halfway mark. On December 17th, it hit £25,025 which was raised by 953 people. That means there's still a long way to go, however - £35,000. But raising close to the halfway mark shows how many people there are who care - especially in the Christmas holiday season.
The GoFundMe page reads that the family is "faced with the prospect of paying for [medical] fees, which so far stand at no less than £36,000, not including the cost of bringing Sophie home. Sophie is one of the bravest women you could ever wish to meet and she is our little miracle.
Our wish now is to get her home as soon as is physically possible, so that she can begin her rehabilitation programme to support the recovery process and be reunited with her loving family, after what has been the most challenging time of our lives."
Specialist flight needed ups the required amount
The family later updated on the site, saying that Sophie has to have a special medical flight out of Thailand. Medical staff needs to be with her constantly as her condition is "delicate." Therefore, even if they hit the goal of £60,000, it may not be enough to cover everything. In the meantime, Sophie responded to all the donations and well-wishers, writing, "I am completely overwhelmed by everyone’s support, love, and donations!
I have been in tears all morning because I simply can not believe how generous and kind you all are. I can’t wait to come home. I’m remaining positive and mobility is improving. Thank you all so so much."
What do you think of the generous donations and the huge amount of money that the family of the Brit backpacker needs to raise to get her home? Sadly, things can go wrong on holiday, and not just in Thailand.
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