A fateful decision to relax with a few drinks while on holiday in Thailand has changed a devastated Australian family’s lives forever, with one woman’s insurer refusing to pay her medical bills as she remains in ‘a vegetative state’ in hospital.
Pest control business owner Paul Enwright is pleading for help to bring his wife Kylee, 48, home from Thailand after a horrific accident left her with a catastrophic brain injury.
The Enwright family from Singleton, NSW, was shocked to find their travel insurance was invalidated with their insurer claiming his partner had drank too much alcohol before the fall – leaving them with $250,000 of medical bills.
They were on the second day of a holiday in Khao Lak when tragedy struck on May 28, with Mr Enwright freely admitting they’d enjoyed a couple of drinks at their resort’s poolside bar on what was a rainy day.
‘Unbeknownst to us this decision would change our lives forever,’ Mr Enwright wrote on a GoFundMe page which had raised more than $100,000 by Thursday afternoon.
A fateful decision to relax with a few drinks while on holiday in Thailand has changed a devastated Australian family’s lives forever. Kylee Enwright (left) is fighting for her life in a Thai hospital
Kylee Enwright’s family is facing a medical bill of more than $50,000 in addition to a $200,000 medical evacuation fee. (Pictured: Ms Enwright in hospital in Thailand)
‘There are unfortunately no signs of Kylee entering consciousness and she remains in a vegetative state,’ he said.
Disturbing footage showed the grandmother stepping off a wooden plank, seemingly mistaking it for stairs, falling 50cm and landing on her face.
But the family is now facing an enormous medical bill as their insurance provider won’t cover costs due to an alcohol limit clause the Enwrights were not aware of.
According to consumer website Choice, most travel insurance policies have an exclusion clause that covers alcohol and drug consumption.
Typically, it will say something like: ‘We will not pay under any circumstances if you were under the influence of any intoxicating liquor or drugs, except a drug prescribed to you by a medical adviser, and taken in accordance with their instructions.’
Choice warned that means ‘there’s a good chance your travel insurer will not pay out for any claims that arise as a result of you being under the influence of alcohol’.
But, like most people, the Enwrights were not aware of the existence of such a clause in their insurance cover.
Kylee Enwright (above) suffered a catastrophic brain injury after falling half a metre and landing on her face while holidaying in Thailand
The couple’s travel insurance provider said it won’t cover the incident because it believes Kylee (pictured with her grandson) was over its covered blood alcohol limit of 0.19
A guest at the hotel gave Kylee first aid while waiting 15 minutes for emergency services to arrive.
‘She was basically bleeding from the head and ears. Her head hit the ground very hard, from what I’ve been told,’ Mr Enwright said.
‘As she stepped off the deck her body dropped into nothingness, with the full momentum of her body sending her face first into the pavement below. Kylee was knocked instantly unconscious.’
She was rushed to a local hospital before being transported to a larger facility in Phuket, where Mr Enwright was told he’d need to pay upfront for life-saving brain surgery.
Staff demanded more than $20,000 but the surgery proceeded after Mr Enwright managed to scrape together almost $13,000.
Since then Ms Enwright’s medical bills have skyrocketed past $50,000, with another $5,000 being piled on each day.
Their insurer allegedly used the couple’s bar tabs and CCTV footage to determine the grandmother was over its covered blood alcohol limit of 0.19.
But Ms Enwright’s blood alcohol level was not tested.
‘Like most Australians, we took up travel insurance at the level of coverage that we thought was going to be adequate. We thought we’d done everything right,’ Mr Enwright said.
‘I am begging and praying that we can come together as a community and country and help bring my wife and the mother/step mother of my kids home.’
Ms Enwright’s (pictured) medical bills have skyrocketed past $50,000, with another $5,000 being piled on each day
Kylee’s husband Paul (pictured together) wants to bring her back to Australia as soon as possible, noting her recovery has been slower than doctors expected
The couple’s three adult children have all travelled to be with their mother in Thailand as the family struggles to find a way to bring her back to Australia.
Mr Enwright said he wants his wife back home as soon as possible, but the medical evacuation she needs will cost around $200,000.
‘She can move her left arm and left leg. She can squeeze your hand. She hasn’t moved her right side very much and they’re a bit concerned that she’s not more alert by now,’ he said.
‘We need to get her back to Australia and back in the Australian medical system, where I think she can get the best care.’
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