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EDMONTON SENIOR, Monday, May 02, 2016 - 7
Retiree Stuck in Thailand Hospital, Fighting for his Life
A rare brain infection from a mosquito bite has put a retired firefighter into a coma
Gary Gee
Retired firefight-
ers in Edmon-
ton are uniting
with colleagues
across Canada
to bring home a
retired “brother”
fighting for his
life in Thailand.
He has Japanese
encephalitis, a
rare blood virus
that put him in a
coma in January
while he was on
vacation. They
hope firefighters
and retirees will
help with plans
to repatriate
him to Edmon-
ton this month.
The cost of an
air ambulance
is estimated at
$50,000. Fam-
ily and friends
are struggling
to cover current
hospital costs
which have risen
to $70,000 at a
private hospital
in the country’s
northern city of
Chiang Mai.
Hughes retired from
the Edmonton Fire-
fighter Services about
12 years ago. The
Edmonton Fire Services
Retiree Brigade is hop-
ing to raise $200,000
to bring 61-year-old
Bill Hughes home. Pat
Martin, president of
the retired firefighters
group, says retired,
active fire fighters and
the unions are hold-
ing special fundraising
events across Canada
and have opened up
a fund at the Service
Credit Union in Calgary
to allow the public to
donate. The family
also has a GoFundMe
crowdfunding effort
online, called “Bring Bill
Home.” The fund has
already raised $50,473.
The firefighter’s brigade
has topped it up with
$21,000. “We’re getting
a lot of support. A lot
of people are inter-
ested. They’re upset
he’s in such a state,”
says Martin, who
worked with Hughes
throughout his career.
“It’s quite a bond that
we firefighters have.
It doesn’t matter he’s
retired. There’s the old
saying we don’t leave
anyone behind.”
Martin says Hughes
is getting “fabulous”
care in Thailand. How-
ever, hospital stays are
very expensive and the
family is being charged
about $5,000 a week.
Hughes’ 82-year-old
mother Heather has
been forced to go
back to work to pay
for her son’s medical
costs, and has almost
exhausted her savings.
Dean Adam, who has
known Hughes for 50
years, says his friends
and family are desper-
ate to get him home.
“He’s in big trouble,”
says the retired fire
investigator. “We’ve
got to get him back.
He'd stand up for his
brothers and we're
standing up for him.”
Japanese encephalitis
is caused by a mos-
quito bite; symptoms
are headaches, high
fever, disorientation,
tremors and convul-
sions. A small number
of the infected end up
in a coma. There is no
known cure. Hughes’
daughter Jillian says she
is very grateful for all
the help from anony-
mous donors. "My dad
spent his entire career
saving people and has
never hesitated to help
someone in need," she
says, in an email to
ESN. “The family just
wants him home.”
Retired firefighter Bill Hughes’ family is
desperate to get him home.
13403 St. Albert Trail