A BACKPACKER from Ammanford that had been stranded in Cambodia after getting sepsis through a mosquito bite has now been moved to a Thai hospital.
Having been in Cambodia for two months, Calvin Hill, 27, was flown to Thailand on Sunday (Jul 8) in a medic plane, where he is estimated to spend another month.
His family have spent £8,000 travelling back and forth since May. Mr Hill has been previously been declared fit to fly by hospital staff after coming out of a coma, however his insurer, Flexicover, said they did not want him to travel for fears of him being put at ‘unnecessary risk’.
Talking to the BBC, Mr Hill’s mother, Tracey, said that he was found in his hotel room ‘not breathing properly’.
He then collapsed after ‘feeling groggy’ following mosquito bites.
She said: “He was on life support. On three different occasions, we were told he wouldn’t make it, and that his liver, kidneys and lungs were failing.”
However, after two weeks in a coma, Mr Hill woke up and soon made good progress, being able to move his limbs and talk. Despite this, Mr Hill is now half his original weight and has a hole in his foot.
Mrs Hill said: “It was a miracle. I’m not a religious person, but these things do really happen.”
Flexicover later agreed to pay for his treatment and fly him to Thailand, before a 14-hour flight to the UK.
His mother added: “They are saying he’s too unwell to bring home, but he’s never going to get better until he comes home.
“It’s such a simple thing to be bitten by a mosquito, but life has changed for us – Calvin will never be the same person.”
A spokesman for the insurance company said: “We appreciate that Mr Hill’s friends and family are keen for his return to the UK which we will fully support at a time that is medically appropriate.
“We never put our customers in situations which could lead to unnecessary risk.”
Add Comment