A scary choice must be made by a Belgian charity worker who lives in Australia: pay more than $80,000 for treatment or lose your foot.
Based in Sydney, Julius Grauls has traveled over Australia for the past four years while working as a fundraiser for international nonprofit organizations.
After he suffered a terrible injury while on vacation in Thailand, his Australian pals are now battling against time to try to save his foot.
Around 4 p.m. on Monday, Mr. Grauls was riding a moped through Ko Pha Ngan when he was struck by a truck that was turning right alongside him on the left but failing to signal.
The 29-year-old was seriously injured after the large truck ran over his right foot and knocked him off his bike. He was left laying on the side of the road.
The man admitted to Daily Mail Australia, “I believed I would die.”
“I was yelling for aid while in shock.” My foot was dislocating. I had no power at all.
“I started to go in shock when I noticed my foot was completely open, exposing the bones and nerves, but I knew I had to keep tough or I would pass out.
I prayed for my life and held each individual in my immediate vicinity while keeping one eye closed.
An ambulance took Mr. Grauls to the gravely under-resourced neighborhood hospital, where staff could only provide painkillers and treat the wound after an agonizing 10-minute wait.
He was subsequently transported on a flimsy boat to a hospital in the adjacent Koh Samui, where he had a minor operation. The transfer and the treatment together cost $20,000 in total.
However, according to physicians, he still needs up to five crucial procedures to save his foot, all of which can only be done in Bangkok and will cost more than $80,000.
Friends have now come together to support the “jewel of a human” by creating a GoFundMe to assist Mr. Grauls in raising the funds.
Franklin, a buddy, remarked, “Julius is the kind of guy who would go out of his way to help someone.”
“And now he is the one who needs assistance.”
Even though Mr. Grauls had travel insurance for Australia, he only purchased Covid insurance since he didn’t believe he would want further protection since his trip to Thailand was only scheduled to last for two weeks.
He would soon come to regret his choice.
He has been unable to see a doctor for the past 15 hours and is currently waiting in a government hospital in a cramped, dark room with 15 other patients.
He has yet to learn whether or not he will be able to walk again because doctors have been difficult to reach.
It has been challenging for him to fall asleep because he is not permitted to use any more morphene to reduce the pain.
I’m in the worst situation of my life, he declared.
They can only clean the wounds here, sadly; they can’t operate.
The fundraising campaign was started on Tuesday and has already raised $3537 of its $80,000 target.
The overwhelming amount of support Mr. Grauls has gotten since the accident, he claimed, has left him feeling overwhelmed by emotions.
I am quite moved by everyone who has reached out and offered assistance, the man stated.
I didn’t anticipate receiving this level of assistance. But it helps me stay motivated.