Funds 'desperately needed' for critically-ill Gourock man in Cambodia
Charles McLaughlin was found unconscious in his flat in Phnom Penh
The family of a Gourock man fighting for survival in Cambodia are telling Clyde News ‘every penny helps’ as they attempt to raise funds to fly him home.
Charles McLaughlin, who’s 38, was found unconscious in his flat in Phnom Penh - he'd suffered a huge stroke and is now on a ventilator.
His mum Esther has already flown out to Cambodia to be by his bedside, and has been chatting to Clyde News about the situation her son is in.
Esther is remortgaging her house to help pay for the medical bills - which currently include $400 a day just to keep him in hospital - and the family have started a fundraising page to cover the costs of an air ambulance for Charles back to Scotland.
She said: "I'm feeling a bit useless at the moment.
"We try our best to talk to Charles and sit by the bedside and look for any signs that he knows we're there, such as getting him to blink when we speak: once for yes, twice for no.
"When he seems to be more with it, he'll open his eyes - but just looking at him with that tube that goes down his throat and attaches to a ventilator, how awful that must be just lying there. He can't move his arms or his legs either.
"We've been massaging his legs, moving his hands, stretching his fingers - trying to stimulate him. But the best thing for him would be to get him home and get him the best treatment possible."
Charles had decided to go travelling in South East Asia last year after being made redundant from his job with HSBC in London.
But due to staying in Cambodia longer than planned, his travel insurance expired and will not cover his medical bills.
His mum Esther said: "They've given him a 'fit to fly' letter but he has to be transported in an air ambulance because of his condition. We can't go on a commercial flight, we need a properly equipped ambulance and that's why it's so expensive.
"We've been quoted up to £105,000 and that's why we've set that target on the page. My daughter's looking at ways I can raise funds from my house to help bridge the gap too, and get Charles home quicker."
The fundraising total at time of writing sits at almost £27,000.