No matter what precautions we take before travelling, things could still go awry and throw a spanner in our plans. That was sadly what happened to 48-year-old Mr Norhisam Buang, who suffered a stroke while on holiday in Warsaw, Poland, recently.
Stuck in a hospital in a foreign country, his son Mohamed Hakim resorted to appealing for donations to bring him home.
Source: @huh.kim on Instagram
Within days, the 22-year-old managed to raise the funds but the necessary arrangements will still take some time.
According to Berita Harian (BH), Mr Norhisam departed for Poland on 1 Nov with a close friend.
Just two days later on 3 Nov, he suffered a stroke while making his way back to the hotel after buying essentials from a convenience store.
His friend informed his son Hakim, who told BH that Mr Norhisam suddenly dropped his shopping bag while walking but didn’t realise it.
The 48-year-old started feeling dizzy and couldn’t feel his left hand and leg. Passers-by who saw him collapse promptly called the ambulance which conveyed him to the hospital.
At the hospital, doctors found that Mr Norhisam had suffered a haematoma or bleeding in his brain.
Although his condition is improving, Mr Hakim said that his father hasn’t recovered fully.
As his father cannot make his own way back home, Mr Hakim turned to the online platform GoGetFunding to raise funds for an air ambulance to ferry him back to Singapore.
At the time of writing, he has managed to exceed the goal of raising S$23,000, the amount he estimated he would need to bring his father home.
BH noted that Mr Hakim achieved this within just three days of posting his appeal.
Despite the overwhelming response, making the necessary arrangements won’t be a walk in the park.
Mr Hakim told BH that transferring the funds from GoGetFunding to his account would take approximately seven days.
Moreover, he will have to figure out how to channel the money to Warsaw to pay his father’s medical bills.
Even after bringing Mr Norhisam home, Mr Hakim will have to think about financing his father’s subsequent treatments in Singapore.
Addressing questions that have surfaced online, Mr Hakim clarified that his father had purchased basic travel insurance. However, the plan doesn’t cover his hospital fees as Mr Norhisam was recently diagnosed with high blood pressure.
The insurance apparently doesn’t protect him from incidents relating to his existing health condition.
Regardless, we hope that the funds raised will relieve Mr Hakim’s burden even slightly and that he can bring his father home safely. Kudos to the donors for contributing.
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Featured image adapted from @huh.kim on Instagram.
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