Australian Autistic Youth Needs $200K Medical Evacuation From Japan
An 18-year-old Australian with autism and a rare syndrome required a $200,000 medical evacuation from Tokyo to Sydney after behavioral crises disrupted his family vacation in Japan.
An 18-year-old Australian autistic youth, Ryan James, who also has developmental delays and a rare syndrome, faced a medical evacuation costing over $200,000 after experiencing a severe behavioral crisis during a family vacation in Japan. The trip, meant to celebrate his 18th birthday and include a visit to Disneyland, was disrupted after five days in Tokyo as the family prepared for a domestic flight to Okinawa.
According to his mother, Ryan became highly distressed at the airport boarding gate, raising his voice and throwing himself on the floor while attempts to calm him failed. While the rest of the family continued to Okinawa, Ryan and his parents remained behind. The Japanese airline booked them on a subsequent flight, but during boarding, Ryan unbuckled his seatbelt and attempted to head for the exit before takeoff, prompting his parents to abandon further commercial flight attempts.
The airline later informed the family that Ryan could not fly commercially without medical clearance. The family hired a private medical evacuation company whose doctor examined Ryan and determined he was unfit for commercial flight due to safety risks. After roughly two weeks of uncertainty, Ryan was hospitalized at St. Luke's International University Hospital in Tokyo, where physicians placed him in a medically induced coma and on a ventilator for safe transport.
A specialized CareFlight air ambulance eventually transported Ryan and his parents back to Sydney, where he was admitted to a local hospital. With insurance failing to cover the full expenses, the family launched a crowdfunding campaign to help offset the massive medical evacuation costs exceeding $200,000.
