TORONTO -- A Canadian man diagnosed with a brain tumour in Thailand is speaking out for the first time from his hospital bed in Ottawa, thanking everyone for their support in getting him home.
Kitchener, Ont. resident Alex Witmer and his wife Jennifer Witmer, who had been living in New Brunswick, quit their jobs earlier this year and went on a six-week trip to Thailand before planning to relocate to Toronto.
The couple was about a month into their trip when the 30-year-old began suffering from a severe migraine. They went to the hospital in Koh Samui and after doctors completed scans they were given the devastating news that he had a cancerous tumour deep inside his brain.
Their insurance company, Allianz Global Assistance, initially rejected the $265,000 air ambulance flight home because Alex reported a headache during an emergency room visit in Moncton a month before their trip. Their insurance company eventually reversed the decision.
While the couple waited in Thailand on answers from the insurance company, they said Alex's condition deteriorated rapidly. Doctors were forced to insert a drain in his head in order to relieve enough pressure for Alex to fly home. He arrived in Ottawa on Saturday night.
Alex has undergone a series of tests and is expected to undergo brain surgery this week.
"I'm overjoyed to be back in Canada," Alex told CTV News Toronto from his hospital bed on Monday. "It feels amazing to be with family."
"Thank you from the bottom of my heart. I feel so lucky."
Meanwhile, Jennifer said on Monday that Alex has been focusing on resting since his return to Canada.
"He looks amazing and has a huge appetite, we’ve definitely got our hopes up now that we’re back home," Jennifer said. "He's a champ."
"The support we received from all over the country has been the silver lining to the traumatic process of getting him home."
A GoFundMe page has been organized to help raise funds for Alex's care when he returns home and has received nearly $80,000 in seven days.
"We're overwhelmed and emotional," Jennifer said earlier this week. "How do you put this into words to see so many strangers giving up so much to save his life is the most amazing thing ever."
