An Aussie woman is in a coma following a fall in Thailand where she hit her head while holidaying.
Her family have been forced to raise funds in order to cover the extensive treatment and medevac her home after travel insurance company cited bar tabs and CCTV, claiming she was allegedly drunk, voiding coverage.
Kylee Enwright from Singleton has had medical bills surpassing $50,000 and are rising each day by over $5000, he family says.
A flight home in her condition is expected to cost over $200,000, leaving her family to turn to other Aussies for help.
Footage of the fall shows her falling face first from a patio onto a footpath, after misjudging a step.
It was her first day of a fortnight-long holiday in Phuket with her husband.
The two run a pest management business in the Hunter Valley.
She has yet to regain full consciousness.
Her husband Paul, has revealed he didn't know about the alcohol clause in the travel insurance cover.
He said the insurer and investigators quickly secured footage from the time of the accident and the pair's bar tab for nine Long Island iced teas.
He believes they used this to determine her blood alcohol level of 0.35, however no blood tests have been performed.
Travel insurer Cover-More suggests a blood alcohol concentration reading of 0.19 or more voids insurance claim.
“We had just got here. We have had a rough few years with the pandemic and our business and were here to enjoy ourselves,” said her husband, Paul.
“Yes, we had a few drinks when the pool bar opened. We were about to go and get changed and head out for dinner when Kylee said she needed to go to the toilet.”
Her husband claims she was "knocked instantly unconscious" and was bleeding from her head and ears.
After the fall, she was rushed to a small hospital, before being admitted to a larger one in Phuket.
Paul claims he was asked to pay $21,532 AUD upfront for an emergent six-hour brain operation. He was only able to pay $12,922 AUD.
The surgery went ahead though, and doctors attempted to bring her out of her coma a few days later. She has still not regained consciousness.
Paul says the Australia consulate was unable to help him, and aviation companies keep quoting over $200,000 AUD for a medevac.
“I just want to get her back to Australia. I don’t care where in Australia, just as long as Kylee is being treated in our health system. I don’t know where to run or what to do."
“We have been to Thailand many times but we obviously didn’t know the system – you take out travel insurance thinking you are covered whatever happens overseas. But that is not the case.”
A GoFundMe page was set up for her return to Australia and has since raised $70,000.
“I and my family will be forever in debt to your generosity."
Cover-More have refused to comment on specifics, but have said their process is "fair and reasonable."
“We gave Kylee’s husband, Paul, a detailed and transparent explanation for declining this claim. This is a sad case, and we will continue to offer Paul and Kylee and their families all the non-financial assistance Cover-More can."
“This includes help with arranging repatriation to Australia, assisting with hospital admissions and a ground ambulance in Australia, travel arrangements and making appointments with local medical practitioners overseas or in Australia.”
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