Family of British man in coma needs help to bring him home from Thailand

A British man’s family is appealing for help to bring him home from Thailand, where he is fighting for his life following a terrible motorbike crash. The man, 32 year old Jay Bridgehouse from Stockport, travelled to Thailand for a chance to ‘chase his dreams’ and look for work, Manchester Evening News reported. But tragedy struck when a pickup truck ploughed into Bridgehouse in the early hours of February 26.

Bridgehouse was riding his motorbike without a helmet when he was hit by a driver travelling at high speed, according to his family. His girlfriend Naomi reportedly heard the crash in real-time, since Jay had forgotten to put the phone down to her moments before. He was immediately rushed to the Koh Samui International hospital in Thailand, where the father of five remains in critical condition.

Bridgehouse suffered a severe bleed on his brain and multiple fractures to his skull, face, and body. He quickly underwent life-saving surgery.

Bridgehouse’s doctors expected that he would wake up in four to six hours after the emergency surgery was performed. However, he slipped into a coma after the operation, and his family is praying for a miracle.

He then developed a second bleed on the brain and caught pneumonia. Bridgehouse is still hooked up to a ventilator as he cannot breathe entirely on his own.

The British Consulate has helped to secure emergency travel documents and passports for Bridgehouse’s family to fly out to Thailand to be with him. However, the family says that to bring him back to the UK for further treatment, a medical evacuation while he is unable to breathe by himself is estimated to cost around £32,000. His medical bills currently stand at over £10,000, and his family desperately wants to bring him home.

Bridgehouse’s mother, Tracey, spoke of her despair, saying, “We are in the depths of despair, looking at him and thinking ‘there is no way that’s our Jay’. One minute you feel okay, sitting having a drink, and the next it’s like a ton of bricks has hit you.”

The family has now ‘maxed out’ credit cards and borrowed as much money as they can to pay for Bridgehouse’s treatment. A fundraiser started by his younger sister Abbie is trying to gather additional funds.

Bridgehouse’s family is asking for help to bring him home to Manchester, pay his medical bills, and sit by his bedside so he is not alone while they hold his hand and he fights for his life. They are asking for people to help them save their beloved Jay. Donations can be made HERE.