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Korean Job Discussion Forums
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eliross
Joined: 14 Jun 2007
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 Posted: Thu May 28, 2009 12:13 am Post subject: ESL teacher being denied medical treatment. Life in danger? |
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http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=86018939188&ref=mf
I couldn't find a post on Dave's about this and I know there's some doctors on this forum.
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Matt Robinson is an American ex-pat who has been teaching in Korea for about 3 years. Recently, due to conflicting medications and gangrene from a previous surgery, he almost died. He was taken to a hospital in Haebonchan where he is in pain, awaiting the surgery he needs.
This hospital is threatening him. They are saying that if he does not give them 10 million won by tomorrow, they will kick him out without the surgery. This means that he will most likely need an amputation or (worse yet) he will die. He has no means to go home, nor is he physically able to get on a plane. |
To paraphrase the FAQ. He's on a tourist visa at the moment, no insurance, and the money's for 3 weeks room and board. You can look the rest up on the site. |
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hugekebab
Joined: 05 Jan 2008
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| Posted: Thu May 28, 2009 12:28 am Post subject: |
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| He should have bought insurance. I feel sorry for him, but I always get insured when I travel. It's insane not to. |
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Forward Observer
Joined: 13 Jan 2009
Location: FOB Gloria
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| Posted: Thu May 28, 2009 12:33 am Post subject: |
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Gotta agree with the big K on this. I feel sorry for him, but no health insurance? It's too bad he didn't save some money in those three years.
Hopefully he has enough money to get home. They'll treat him there if his life is in danger.
Last edited by Forward Observer on Thu May 28, 2009 12:36 am; edited 1 time in total |
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T-dot
Joined: 16 May 2004
Location: bundang
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| Posted: Thu May 28, 2009 12:35 am Post subject: |
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so whats the problem?
Dude cant afford the hospital bill and has no insurance. He'd probably get the same treatment in a hundred different countries.
Last edited by T-dot on Thu May 28, 2009 12:35 am; edited 1 time in total |
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jotgarden
Joined: 12 Nov 2008
Location: Suwon, South Korea.
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| Posted: Thu May 28, 2009 12:35 am Post subject: |
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| I'm impressed exactly how many ways there are to spell Haebangchon. |
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moosehead
Joined: 05 May 2007
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| Posted: Thu May 28, 2009 12:37 am Post subject: |
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I live in HBC and have never seen a hospital here - ?
the name might be important -
at any rate - does he belong to a particular church by any chance? that might help him if his family cannot; but they should be the first to respond.
what happened to him anyway? |
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Smee
Joined: 24 Dec 2004
Location: Jeollanam-do
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| Posted: Thu May 28, 2009 12:43 am Post subject: |
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| I asked some questions on the wall of that Facebook group, and she answered them in the FAQ. She told me to call him to get more info, which made me feel a little uncomfortable if he's about to have his leg amputated. So I'll ask him some follow-up questions when I call back tonight. I'm curious about what he's doing here on a tourist visa, where he taught before, where he's staying, that sort of thing. Just want to make sure everything checks out. |
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Adventurer
Joined: 28 Jan 2006
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| Posted: Thu May 28, 2009 2:02 am Post subject: |
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********************************
Bank information for donation transfers (this goes into his hospital account)
The name is in Korean
account #:481-007433-01-011
Bank: IBK
If you are not in Korea, you will need the following:
Swift code: IBKOKRSE
Hospital: Soonchun Hyang University Hospital.
Matt Robinson is an American ex-pat who has been teaching in Korea for about 3 years. Recently, due to conflicting medications and gangrene from a previous surgery, he almost died. He was taken to a hospital in Haebonchan where he is in pain, awaiting the surgery he needs.
This hospital is threatening him. They are saying that if he does not give them 10 million won by tomorrow, they will kick him out without the surgery. This means that he will most likely need an amputation or (worse yet) he will die. He has no means to go home, nor is he physically able to get on a plane.
I know that the ex-pat community in Korea is very strong. I also know that if this same thing happened to any one of you, we would all rise up. Please do not ignore this and think that other people will take care of it. This group is a last resort. Please act quickly, even if you can only give 1,000 won. There are a lot of people on facebook. If everyone gave that, he could get the surgery he needs.
Many of you know Matt from his improv group that performs in Itaewon. I have known him for 8 years. He is a beautiful and funny person with a wonderful spirit. Please do not let this happen to him.
You can help by contacting him at 01072645447. Or, you can contact me (Sara Moore) or Lydia Cooper, who is an officer of this group.
Anything you can do will help - Even if it�s just passing on the information
FAQ
1. What exactly is the medical condition? What led up to it?
Matt has been battling a blood clot in his leg for several years. Recently, he had surgery on the leg, after which he got gangrene. Because of this, he now needs another surgery, which he was admitted into the hospital for 3 weeks ago but hasn't yet been scheduled for.
2. What does that 10 million won number include? Surgery? Room and board? Medicine?
All of the above. As stated, he's been in the hospital for three weeks, thinking that he was going to get surgery by now. They haven't scheduled the surgery because Matt has no proof of payment. However, he can't leave the hospital because the IV they've had him on for the last 3 weeks is what is keeping him stable. They're only keeping him for another week to finish the medication they have him on now. After that, he gets the boot.
3. Where does he teach? Is he teaching illegally?
Currently, he's not teaching; he's on tourist visa. However, with his medical condition, it's impossible for him to travel back to the States, even if he had the money to do so.
4. Does he have insurance?
No, he doesn't. Since he's on tourist visa, he can't get insurance. The Korean Bureaucracy has cleverly devised a system so that tourists can't have insurance here.
5. Can you tell me more about the improv group?
It's called Seoul City Improv SCI. Here's the Facebook Group page:
http://www.facebook.com/board.php?uid=86018939188#/group.php?gid=2459032993
6. Is anyone back home helping? Is he in touch with family, friends there?
They're helping as much as possible, but they simply don't have the amount of money required to pay this bill. His mother has exhausted every resource available to her (she was denied the loan because she doesn't have any collateral to put up for it), and this is a last ditch effort to meet the deadline with the needed funds.
7. What has the embassy done to help?
a. Nothing. They're busy dealing with the Swine Flu quarantine, so they haven't been any help. They told Matt that they'd call him back, but he hasn't heard a word. |
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Adventurer
Joined: 28 Jan 2006
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| Posted: Thu May 28, 2009 2:05 am Post subject: |
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| Forward Observer wrote: |
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| He has no means to go home, nor is he physically able to get on a plane |
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I'm really curious, did he not save at least 550K won in all those three years of teaching? Because that's how much a one way ticket will cost back home. Here's another tip: wheelchair. |
The guy has had health problems before it seems, so if he had money it would have been depleted from that botched surgery, I reckon. It's easy to judge the guy as a bozo. It's easy to end up vulnerable, you know.
I am not clear on why he came to Korea on a tourist visa from the information above, but I do feel sorry for the guy. I wish I could help out in a big way. |
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Geckoman
Joined: 07 Jun 2007
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crossmr
Joined: 22 Nov 2008
Location: Hwayangdong, Seoul
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| Posted: Thu May 28, 2009 3:13 am Post subject: |
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No, he doesn't. Since he's on tourist visa, he can't get insurance. The Korean Bureaucracy has cleverly devised a system so that tourists can't have insurance here. |
Cleverly? Why should tourists be allowed to get national health care coverage. They're tourists. They buy travel insurance.. |
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Forward Observer
Joined: 13 Jan 2009
Location: FOB Gloria
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| Posted: Thu May 28, 2009 5:24 am Post subject: |
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| Adventurer wrote: |
The guy has had health problems before it seems, so if he had money it would have been depleted from that botched surgery, I reckon. It's easy to judge the guy as a bozo. It's easy to end up vulnerable, you know.
I am not clear on why he came to Korea on a tourist visa from the information above, but I do feel sorry for the guy. I wish I could help out in a big way. |
I'm not clear on why he'd be in Korea working on a tourist visa if he's been battling blood clots either. Sounds like poor planning to me. I mean hell, here you have a guy, who clearly understood well in advance that he was taking a risk living here, goes ahead and gets surgery, then goes back into the hospital knowing full well he couldn't pay for his health care.
Oh look, I'm not trying to be the bad guy here. I hope people give him all the cash he needs for his surgery. I just don't get how some people think that they'll be magically rescued by a whole lot of people when they don't plan ahead for themselves. I'm sure he's a wonderful person though. |
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D.D.
Joined: 29 May 2008
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| Posted: Thu May 28, 2009 5:34 am Post subject: |
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Wow just a crying shame how many people take the path of judging this guy. How many people can honestly say that they have had 10 million sitting in the bank all of th etime for an emergency like this.
Have some feelings as it is scary to see people filter their responses through logic and morals. I would not refuse care to somebody if I was in the position to help.
I have ran into many a traveler in bad spots and always do my best to help. Shoulding all over the guy does little to help. |
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gangwonbound
Joined: 27 Apr 2009
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| Posted: Thu May 28, 2009 5:43 am Post subject: |
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Doesn't like the Wolfhound pub had an account which people donated for Bill Kapour(spl) last time where they still had some left over cash or something?
Also didn't we raise a shed load of cash for Bill? Something like 40,000? Isn't like 10,000 a lot easier to raise this time? |
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moosehead
Joined: 05 May 2007
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| Posted: Thu May 28, 2009 5:51 am Post subject: |
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| Adventurer wrote: |
This hospital is threatening him.
This means that he will most likely need an amputation or (worse yet) he will die. He has no means to go home, nor is he physically able to get on a plane.
I know that the ex-pat community in Korea is very strong. I also know that if this same thing happened to any one of you, we would all rise up. Please do not ignore this and think that other people will take care of it. This group is a last resort. Please act quickly, even if you can only give 1,000 won.
Many of you know Matt from his improv group that performs in Itaewon. I have known him for 8 years. He is a beautiful and funny person with a wonderful spirit. Please do not let this happen to him.
You can help by contacting him at 01072645447. Or, you can contact me (Sara Moore) or Lydia Cooper, who is an officer of this group.
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ok, so there's contact info for him - but not these 2 other ladies who are mentioned.
the way this is written can be excused if it is indeed, sincere, but quite frankly it does read like so many scams do -
please act now
it's all up to you
something really terrible will happen and it's all your fault if you don't do anything
I don't mean to offend anyone and if someone wants to help, the best thing to do is please have this confirmed first, in the media, a tv interview, visit the fellow in the hospital, something!
Just posting a story (however sad and heartwrenching), giving bank acc info, and pleading for immediate responses is at the very least, thoughtless and at the worst only creates suspicion as to motives.
ongoing blood clot disorders are quite serious, and it's surprising someone would fly overseas knowing they had this since the air pressure change can create a disruption of the clot thru the blood stream and kill a person. maybe he developed it here and wasn't aware of the seriousness of it until it was too late. maybe he was a smoker and was in denial - but whatever the reason, if all this is on the up and up, there are other ways to find assistance. Too many people jump on the internet as the first and only solution without really thinking things thru -
Medical schools do pro bono work all the time for patients unable to pay. Has this been investigated? even if he had the 10 million won - this hospital really doesn't appear to have his best interests in mind -
back to my first suggestion - about churches - goodness, there are charities in K, many of them. ask around - lots of foreigners volunteer, no doubt there would be someone that may be willing to speak to someone etc etc.
how about the Red Cross? has anyone approached them?
these suggestions took some time and effort to contribute and I hope they are appreciated - remember things always look the darkest before the storm - if all of this is for real, this young man is by no means out of options - he has friends who care about him enough to try and help - let's just see if they can really come through for him.
I certainly hope so and wish him the best of luck - |
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