Thai family seeks help after meningitis scare in South Korea

A Thai woman‘s family appealed to the public for financial support after she suffered meningitis while attending a company seminar in South Korea.

The woman’s brother, Nakarin Rungthongkumkul, took to social media to share that his sister, Purima “Kim” Rungthongkumkul, was hospitalised at Inje University Haeundae Paik Hospital in Busan City, South Korea, due to meningitis.

According to Nakarin, Kim went to South Korea for a seminar with her colleagues. The symptoms of the disease developed on June 25 after she travelled by high-speed train from Seoul to Busan. Kim revealed to her family via video conference that she felt a headache, which she attributed to a lack of sleep.

Kim’s headache worsened the next day. She felt pain across her body and was nauseous, so her company admitted her to the hospital on June 26. After receiving a saline solution, the doctor allowed her to return to rest at her hotel.

On the last day of her seminar, June 27, Kim’s condition became severe. She lost consciousness and had difficulty breathing. Her hands and feet were tense, and she also wet herself. Her colleagues changed her clothes and rushed her to the hospital.

After the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and computed tomography (CT) scan, the doctor concluded that Kim was suffering from meningitis. She had to receive treatment in a controlled environment that filters pollutants at the hospital and was unable to return to Thailand for around three weeks.

Family’s decision to end treatment

Kim’s condition was shared with the family and her boyfriend on June 28. The doctor later informed the family that Kim had lost the function of her brain and was brain dead. Her medical costs would be about 120,000 baht per day if the family insisted on continuing treatment.

Nakarin revealed that he, his family, and Kim’s boyfriend faced difficulty in making the decision but they eventually agreed to stop treatment so that Kim would not suffer further. However, the family wanted to donate her organs to others in need, so Kim would remain at the hospital until her parents arrived in South Korea to sign the required documents.

The family initially launched a donation campaign for Kim’s medical costs. Nakarin updated today, July 4, that the total amount he and the family had received was 863,750 baht. This money would cover the medical costs, which are now about 1.2 million baht.

However, there would be additional hospital service costs as Kim would remain at the hospital until her parents arrived. More expenses are expected for her cremation in South Korea and the transfer of her ashes to Thailand.

Nakarin stated that he would close the donation campaign once the amount raised was enough to cover all the necessary expenses. Donations can be made to Nakarin’s Government Savings Bank account number 020295027393.