A 73-year-old Scotsman, Alexander Parker, is fighting for his life in a Thai hospital as his family desperately tries to repatriate him to the UK for treatment.
The former Royal Fleet Auxiliary serviceman, who served in the Falklands, the Gulf, Bosnia, and Iraq, has been in intensive care with suspected lymphoma. He had been dividing his time between the UK and Thailand, where he worked as a teacher before falling ill five months ago.
His daughter, Jayne Simpson, 47, from Helensburgh, explained that his illness began earlier this year when he complained of stomach pains. Initially treated for acid reflux, Parker later collapsed in May and was admitted to hospital, where ulcers were discovered on his spleen and liver. After receiving intravenous antibiotics, he was discharged.
Alarm grew when the family lost contact with him in August. Jayne and her two sisters flew to Thailand, where they found him unconscious and in poor condition at a community hospital. “There were no machines. He had a saline drip but he wasn’t being fed,” Jayne said.
Following intervention, Parker was transferred to King Prajadhipok Memorial Hospital in Chanthaburi, where he was intubated and placed in intensive care. Doctors suspect an 80% chance of lymphoma, though tests remain inconclusive. His spleen is now so enlarged that one of his lungs has collapsed and requires daily drainage.
With no health insurance, Parker’s treatment has left his family facing mounting costs of £500 per day, in addition to thousands spent on biopsies and surgeries. The cost of a medical evacuation flight back to the UK is estimated at £30,000.
Jayne described the ordeal as “extremely traumatic,” saying: “The health system in Thailand is very different from the UK. Families are expected to handle a lot of the care. My dad is desperate it is his wish to return to the UK, see his family and grandchildren, and get the treatment he needs.”
The family has appealed to the Foreign Office for assistance and launched a GoFundMe page, which has so far raised around £4,500, with additional support pledged by forces charities.
Local MSP Jackie Baillie expressed concern and pledged to support the family, saying: “Time is of the essence and the battle is on to return Alexander to the UK for the treatment he desperately needs.”
The family remains hopeful that with further donations and support, Parker can be repatriated to the UK to continue his fight for survival.
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