The family of 22-year-old Indianapolis man Bobby Shaw is trying to arrange an air ambulance from Italy, where he has been comatose since suffering cardiac arrest during a family vacation in September. His father, Aaron Shaw, estimates the trip home will cost about $175,000.
Bobby arrived in Rome on Sept. 2 with his father, grandmother and uncle for a planned 12-day tour, according to WTHR. After feeling fatigued and resting for a couple of days, he went with his father to an emergency department on Sept. 14. He suffered cardiac arrest at the hospital and fell into a coma, the station reported.
Doctors Point to Addison’s Disease and Infection
Bobby has Addison’s disease, an adrenal gland insufficiency. His doctors believe the condition, along with dehydration and a lung infection, contributed to the cardiac arrest, according to WTHR. Nearly two months later, his heart is beating strongly and he is breathing mostly on his own, but he has not responded to any stimulus. Aaron has remained in Italy at his son’s bedside.
What medical guidance and insurance coverage can establish
The Endocrine Society says physical stress, including illness or infection, can worsen adrenal insufficiency symptoms and lead to an adrenal crisis. That general guidance does not establish what caused Bobby’s cardiac arrest. Travel medical coverage varies by plan. AXA Travel Insurance says covered evacuation and repatriation must be coordinated through the assistance service designated by the insurer. Travelers should check their plan’s terms and assistance requirements before a trip; this information does not establish whether the Shaw family has coverage.
Aaron has spent time talking and singing to Bobby, reading to him and playing music. “I just want to get him home to Indiana so he can be with his family,” he said, as relatives work to raise money.
A $175,000 Price Tag, With $50,000 Raised So Far
Aaron says an air ambulance is the only way Bobby can be transported home and estimates it will cost about $175,000. The family has raised roughly $50,000 and hopes to bring Bobby to Indianapolis before Christmas. Aaron said he believes his son will recover: “Bobby is tough, strong and will wake up.”
The cost is not unique to the Shaw family. In a separate case reported by The Star, a family was quoted about $400,000 to bring a Burnaby, B.C., woman home from China by air ambulance and was considering a commercial-airline stretcher transport estimated at about $108,800.
For the Shaws, the immediate challenge is raising the money for Bobby’s transport home while Aaron remains by his bedside in Italy.
