Canadian stuck in Thailand with fatal brain tumour

Alex Witmer and his wife Jennifer Witmer had been living in Moncton for the last five years before quitting their job and travelling to Thailand for a six-week excursion. The plan was to return home and relocate to Toronto. Alex, 30, unfortunately, began suffering from a migraine.

“He got a migraine that didn’t go away,” Jennifer Witmer told CTV News Toronto from a hospital in the southern Thailand.

Jennifer Witmer was expecting to acquire some pain medication for the migraine however a brain scan revealed that is was a “massive tumour deep inside his brain” that was cancerous.

“My husband was extremely healthy, he was an international athlete. He has never had any issues,” said Jennifer.

Alex Witmer was given medication to reduce the pressure inside his brain that was causing the headache but was told that it was only a temporary solution. Doctors told him he needs immediate brain surgery, chemotherapy and radiation.

Alex was told furthermore that the medication they gave him would only work for a couple of days and it was in that window of time that he best fly back to Canada.

“We have travel insurance, so we opened a claim and there was no issue we just got the go-ahead yesterday. They were sending an air ambulance,” Jennifer told CTV news.

“A few hours later they called back and said they received his medical records and it showed he checked into an emergency room in Moncton a month ago and had symptoms of the flu. He reported a mild headache and because he said that they cancelled our claim based off having a pre-existing condition.”

“They offered to still send an air ambulance service and quoted me $265,000 but that’s obviously not an option.”

“We are right now waiting for them to call and give the final word on our claim but they have been telling me it doesn’t look good.”

“It’s just cruel. Our neurosurgeon here said his flu symptoms are not pre-existing conditions. It’s insane they are flagging this.”

A GoFundMe page has been organized to help raise funds for Alex Witmer’s care and has received more than $10,000 in six hours.