News

Brit, 32, fighting for life after falling into coma in Cambodia as sister says family are facing £8k-a-day hospital bill

A BRIT tourist is fighting for his life after falling into a coma in Cambodia, with his family now facing a £8,000-a-day hospital bill.

Ben Wilkins, 32, from Chinley, Derbyshire, was just two weeks into his holiday to the island of Koh Rong when he fell sick.

Ben Wilkins (pictured) was found unconscious in his hostel room by his friendsCredit: ViralPress

The Brit tourist, 32, is now in a coma fighting for his lifeCredit: ViralPress

Ben had visited Cambodia several times before without problemsCredit: ViralPress

Pals found him unconscious in his hostel room last Monday before rushing him to a hospital in Siem Reap.

The uninsured Brit was later transferred to Cambodian capital Phnom Penh.

His family are now facing bills of £8,000 a day for intensive care in the notoriously poor hospital or an air ambulance back to the UK for up to £200,000.

Ben’s sister Imogen said he had “kidney failure and severe pneumonia” and is now in a coma with a ventilator supporting his breathing.

He has not woken up in five days.

“We do not know how long Ben had been unconscious in his room on his own,” said mum-of-one Imogen, from Manchester.

“The ambulance ride which took five and a half hours from Siem Reap to Phnom Penh was to enable him to receive dialysis as he would have died without this, most of the country does not have treatments available such as dialysis.”

Imogen added the previously healthy young man had no underlying health conditions.

Ben also did not take out travel insurance as he had travelled to the country several times before without problems.

He even adopted two dogs from the island before flying them back to the UK with his girlfriend.

Ben’s mother, father and stepfather have now all flown out to Cambodia to be by his side.

“When you’re young you think you’re invincible, so all of this is not just a heart-breaking strain on us all but is coming at a huge financial cost to our family,” Imogen said.

“It’s £8000 a day to be kept in ICU, before the costs of ambulances, medication, procedures, dialysis and tests being done.

“We have spent upwards of £60,000, with every day the amount growing massively.”

Imogen and her mother Carolyn have set up a Go Fund Me page to raise funds to help with Ben’s mounting medical expenses.

She wrote: “Please help us save Ben, anything you can spare to help towards the cost of the medical bills to try and save his life and bring him back home would be greatly appreciated.

“I need my brother and my parents need their son home.

“He is halfway around the world and he needs to be back home.

“Thank you so much.”

The campaign has raised £36,000 as of Tuesday morning.

An update given on the Go Fund Me website this morning said that Ben has begun to respond to therapy but remains in a coma.

Imogen wrote: “Such a massive thank you to everyone who has donated. We are so overwhelmed by the response and kindness shown.

“Ben is definitely starting to respond to his treatments in the last 24 hours, which is great news. He’s still on a ventilator and receiving dialysis for his kidney failure and his pneumonia is still severe.

“But there is positive news and he is responding to the treatments.”

Cambodia was once home to one of the world’s greatest Empires and the capital was the ‘Pearl of the Orient’ in the 1950s but the country is now one of the most underdeveloped in Asia.

It was decimated by US bombing campaigns in the 1970s – Nixon’s Mad Man strategy to intimidate Vietnam – followed by the twisted reign of the genocidal Khmer Rouge, which was supported by neighbour Thailand.

Its infrastructure has never fully recovered, with its hospitals holding a notoriously poor reputation.

Ben’s sister Imogen launched a GoFundMe page to help with Ben’s mounting medical expensesCredit: ViralPress

The 32-year-old pictured with his two dogsCredit: ViralPress

Related Posts

Fired FEMA worker blasts government for blaming her for their anti-Trump policies: ‘All I did was take notes’

A FEMA employee claimed she just was taking orders from her superiors when she directed workers providing aid to Hurricane Milton survivors in Florida to skip houses with signs supporting Donald Trump. Marn’i Washington, who was fired over the controversy, revealed that the directive came from her bosses and that she is taking the fall for the agency’s policy to ‘avoid homes advertising Trump.’ ‘Why is this coming down on me?’ she said during an interview on Fox News @ Night Wednesday.

🚨BREAKING NEWS🚨 Does this photo prove angels exist? Haunting image of car crash shows ‘blurry figure’ that mother of victim claims is her daughter’s spirit

A bereaved mother claims to have seen angels at the site of a horrific car crash where her daughter lost her life. Melinda Martinez, 43, believes a ‘blurry figure’ in haunting photos taken by the police shows her child’s spirit. Her daughter Isabelle Gonzalez, 16, died in a car crassh after she went out with three friends, drinking alcohol and smoking marijuana.

🚨BREAKING NEWS🚨 Wicked’s Cynthia Erivo flashes 3-inch nails in NYC after revealing ‘hard conversations’ with Ariana Grande

Cynthia Erivo showcased her bold fashion sense while promoting Wicked in New York City on Thursday. The 37-year-old British actress, who stars as Elphaba opposite Ariana Grande’s Glinda in the highly anticipated musical film, turned heads in a vested top paired with neon green pants as she headed to an ABC studio. The Oscar nominee added a touch of glam with dangling diamond earrings and flashed her extravagant, designer-styled nails as she waved to photographers.

Laken Riley’s mother breaks down in sobs listening to her final moments in harrowing 911 call played in court

Nursing student Laken Riley’s mother sobbed as the chilling 911 call made moments before her death was revealed during the trial of an illegal migrant accused of killing her. Allyson Phillips covered her face with a tissue and broke down as the Athens-Clark County court was told that 22-year-old Riley somehow managed to activate the SOS alert on her phone at 9.11am the day of her death. Prosecutors allege in that moment on February 22, 26-year-old undocumented migrant Jose Antonio Ibarra stopped her in her tracks as she went for a run near the University of Georgia campus.

🚨BREAKING NEWS🚨 Kate Garraway beams in relief as she shares moment she’s surprised with new two-year contract after revealing her huge debt from late husband Derek Draper’s medical care

Kate Garraway didn’t attempt to hide her elation on Wednesday, as she revealed she had signed a new two-year contract for her radio show, amid her financial woes. The TV presenter, 57, took to her Instagram to share a video of her being surprised by her agent at the Smooth Radio studio, with a new deal to continue her 10am to 1pm slot for the next two years. And Kate’s relief was evident, coming after she revealed that the cost of care of her late husband Derek Draper had left her with huge debts.

Chancellor ‘economic’ with her CV: Rachel Reeves edits her online qualifications from having experience as ‘economist’ to say she was in ‘retail banking’

Rachel Reeves has edited her online CV after admitting she was not an economist during her time at the Bank of Scotland. The Chancellor deleted ‘economist’ from her LinkedIn profile work experience and changed it to ‘retail banking’ during her time at the bank in 2006-9. The move prompted the Tories to accuse her of ‘deception’ and brand her ‘economical with the truth’.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *