Online appeal launched to help cover the cost of bringing Michael home to M/Town
THE sister of Michael O’Sullivan, the Mitchelstown man who was missing for a week in Bangkok, has launched an online appeal to help cover the cost of his medical treatment and repatriation back home.
Michael, from O’Neill Crowley Terrace, is due to arrive back in Mitchelstown this week after he was found in a local hospital following an intensive search, co-ordinated by his brother Martin Patrick who had travelled to the Thai capital.
An experienced traveller, Michael had disappeared from his hotel room on January 18. He was subsequently found lying on a city street and rushed to hospital where he lay in a coma until last Wednesday (Jan 24).
His sister, Anna Cotter, had also travelled to Bangkok to help in the search, which was aided by officials from the Irish embassy. She was told on arrival that Michael had been located and was in hospital.
Speaking briefly to Patricia Messinger on her C103FM Cork Today show last Monday from Bangkok, Ms Cotter said she was trying to get Michael home for further treatment.
“I have to get help to get Anthony discharged - at the moment I have to pay his hospital bills to get him discharged as we want to try and fly home with him tomorrow. I have to get a letter from the hospital to say he is okay to fly but because he is not 100 per cent better, they are very slow to give me that letter which is very frustrating,” said Ms Cotter.
Ms Cotter explained her brother had suffered a perforated bowel which had left him “very weak and very shook” while he had also lost a lot of weight, so she was very anxious to get him home quickly.
“He has a lot of bacteria in his body and it could take two weeks for it to clear with antibiotics, but I don’t want to stay in Bangkok for two weeks longer,” she said.
On Tuesday Ms Cotter set up a Go Fund Me page aimed at raising the money needed to cover Anthony’s medical bills and flight home.
“It appears that Anthony suffered a condition called Diverticulitis, which in turn caused his bowel to perforate. It is still unsure if Anthony was assaulted or not, as his memory is still not great,” wrote Ms Cotter on the Go Fund Me page.
She wrote that the combined cost of Michael’s medical treatment and flight home would be in the region of €7,500. Both she and Martin will be funding their own expenses.
“We would really appreciate your help in raising this money and thank you all from the bottom of our hearts for all the well wishes and to the people all over the world that shared our brothers plight on social media,” wrote Ms Cotter.
“I cannot overstate how much it meant to land in Bangkok after a very long journey to be told he had been found.”
Within 18 hours of the appeal being set up more than 60 donations totalling almost €2,000 had been received.
To donate to the appeal visit www. gofundme.com/can-you-please-helpanthony.