Australian family faces $500,000 medical flight bill after son is grounded in Japan
An Australian family’s trip to Japan to celebrate their son Ryan’s 18th birthday has been disrupted after he developed an intense fear of flying and was deemed unfit to board a domestic flight. His family say he cannot return to Australia on a commercial aircraft and has been advised to travel on a specialist medical flight, potentially costing $500,000 or more.
Ryan, who is autistic and loves Mickey Mouse, had flown before without difficulty, according to the fundraiser organiser. His parents, Mel and Brad, remain in Tokyo with him while their other two children have returned to New South Wales with their grandmother; the family’s travel insurance has not resolved the unusual situation. A fundraiser raised more than $80,000 from 780 donors in its first two days to help with costs, including consultations and daily expenses.
In short
- An Australian teenager is unable to fly home commercially from Japan.
- His family has been quoted $500,000 or more for a specialist flight.
- A fundraiser raised over $80,000 in its first two days.
Explained simply
Japan is a long way from Australia, so returning home usually means taking a commercial passenger flight. Some people may be unable to travel that way if a health professional considers them unfit to fly; a specialist medical flight can provide care during the journey but may cost far more.
Ryan is autistic, and autism affects people in different ways. His family say he developed a severe fear of flying during the trip, despite having flown before. The situation involves Ryan and his parents, Mel and Brad, who are trying to find a way for the family to get home together.
Travel insurance can help cover unexpected medical or travel costs, but the terms and circumstances determine what a policy pays for. In this case, the family say their insurance has not resolved the costs of getting Ryan home, so fundraising is helping meet expenses while they consider their options.
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Originally published by Daily Mail as “Aussie family’s dream trip to Japan turns into nightmare as they are left with $500,000 bill to return home”.