Rescue Our Family: Plea to Bring Dad Home

Nov 9 - Video from Korean Doctor in ICU

Nov 24 - KHON2 News

Dec 1 - Day 23 Video from Korean Doctor in ICU

Aloha friends and family,

I am reaching out to you in the midst of an unexpected and challenging situation. My parents and I were on a journey to reunite with family in China after ten long years. During the flight my father faced a severe health crisis, struggling to breathe, leading us to seek urgent medical attention at our layover in Korea. My father, the type of person who only sees a doctor when absolutely necessary, is currently in the ICU at Inha University Hospital in Incheon, battling pneumonia and relying on a ventilator.

Here’s where we need your support. Unfortunately, his Medicaid won’t cover any of the medical expenses incurred outside the United States. The daily ICU cost is about $3,000 because we are American citizens. As foreigners in Korea, we have to pay all expenses out of our pocket. The doctors recommend at least a month to two months of treatment in Korea or using air ambulance services to transfer him back to Hawaii once stabilized. The medical escort is about $40,000, and an air ambulance is now about $140,000. The options presented - a prolonged stay or a medically assisted journey home - both come with significant financial burdens that we cannot bear alone.

I’ve explored various avenues, including reaching out to the US embassy and the hospital’s social services, but our options are limited. The embassy offers a repatriation loan of only $4,000 for the airfare back to the United States, which won’t cover the extensive medical expenses.

My mom and I have been in Korea for 23 days already, and we are feeling utterly hopeless with the language barrier, lack of help from the US embassy, and the heavy medical bill. We don’t want to lose my father in a foreign country. We are extremely worried about my father’s condition, and, along with the high medical bills, my mom also has some underlying health conditions. We are trying to stay strong to navigate this difficult crisis.

Your contributions will make a significant difference in helping my father, covering the medical costs, and bringing my father back home. No amount is too small, and every donation is a step closer to reuniting our family. Please share our story and consider contributing to our GoFundMe. If you know anyone in Incheon, Korea, who is willing to help, it will be much appreciated. Your kindness and support mean the world to us.

Thank you for being there for us in this challenging time.