Please help my mother
A LEOPOLD man is fighting to bring his seriously ill mother home to Australia.
Hilary Wood was on holiday in Vietnam when she fell ill on March 11.
Her son, Michael, said his mother had been evacuated from her hotel amid coronavirus concerns when she started to experience seizures and asthma attacks overnight.
Ms Wood was relocated to hospital, tested and cleared of COVID-19, but continued seizures have forced her to stay in hospital. She was relocated to a hospital in a major city.
Mr Wood said he was struggling to cover the costs to bring her home for treatment.
“Everything is in limbo at the moment,” he said.
“I’ve been going in circles, hitting dead ends. It feels like people have washed their hands of her.”
Mr Wood told the Geelong Advertiser his mother’s travel insurer still didn’t know if it would cover the cost of bringing her home.
He has been told that a medical evacuation could cost upwards of $30,000.
“Mum and I are very close,” he said.
“At the moment, I’m just trying to keep a level head and take it day by day.”
A GoFundMe has been set up to try and cover ongoing medical costs.
Ms Wood, an Australian permanent resident and UK citizen, has lived in Australia for more than 50 years.
“Even commercial flights are being cancelled everywhere,” he said.
“Coronavirus has taken an already difficult situation and increased it tenfold.”
To donate, visit: gofundme.com/f/please-helpmy-mum-hilary-return-hometo-australia