The family of a 24-year-old English teacher in Thailand has raised over THB1.28 million in a GoFundMe campaign to bring the young Scotsman home after he suffered a brain aneurysm.
Owen Auskerry from Orkney was flown from the southern province of Nakhon Si Thammarat to a hospital in Bangkok last Wednesday after his girlfriend Janjira first raised the alarm when he started suffering from severe headaches, then vomiting and seizures.
Owen had brain surgery on Friday, which doctors said was successful. Yesterday they removed a catheter from Owen’s head used to drain excess fluid from his skull.
“He’s been very feverish but is definitely understanding most of what is said to him. A side effect of the fever is hallucinations and his short term memory is causing a few problems,” the family statement wrote.
Owen’s parents Simon and Teresa flew to Thailand immediately to be by his bedside and give permission for his surgery on Friday.
“We now believe and hope he is on the road to recovery. All of us have been deeply touched by the influx of messages of support and love for Owen, who we all recognize as a wonderfully loving, lively, eccentric, funny and talented young man,” Owen’s brother Rory wrote.
The family hopes Owen’s insurance will cover the GBP6,000 bill (THB307,000) for the air ambulance and GBP16,000 costs (THB820,000) of his brain surgery. However the policy will run out on Friday and the family is worried about the costs of his recovery, according to STV News.
They hope the funds raised by the campaign will cover Owen’s medical treatment, the costs of his parents coming out to look after him, as well as the costs of taking him home.
Any leftover funds will be given to a charity of Owen’s choice when he’s recovered, the family said.
