An Australian family's holiday in Japan turned into a nightmare when their autistic son developed a sudden fear of flying, leaving them with a $500,000 bill to get him home safely.
When Ryan James was five days into his family's holiday in Japan, the 18-year-old autistic teenager suddenly developed an intense fear of flying. Despite having flown before and traveling to five separate countries in his lifetime, Ryan had a meltdown as he was due to board a domestic flight.
The Family's Desperate Attempt to Get Him Home
His parents, Ms James and Mr James, were left at a loss after being told that their son couldn't fly commercially unless he had a 'fit to fly' certificate. They called the travel insurance company, but they started asking for more medical history, leaving the family frustrated.
The Long Journey Home
After two weeks of uncertainty, Ryan was finally admitted to St Luke's International Hospital in Tokyo, where doctors began the process of intubating him so he could fly home under the care of medical staff. He was then flown to Westmead Hospital in Sydney, where he was checked into the intensive care unit and brought out of sedation.
The Emotional Moment Ryan Returns Home
On Tuesday morning, the CareFlight aircraft touched down in Sydney at 12:50 am, with video capturing the moment Ryan emerges from the plane on a stretcher before staff move him into an ambulance for transport to the hospital. The family was finally reunited after weeks of uncertainty and a $500,000 bill.
Source: Google News
