Friends of a former White Rock man – who has spent the last two weeks in a Dubai hospital after suffering a brain hemorrhage – are raising money for his medical bills.
Joey Johnson, who was visiting family in Dubai, was found unconscious by his father and rushed to hospital more than two weeks ago, family-friend Matt Kunz told Peace Arch News.
According to a GoFundMe page, Johnson underwent a number of operations to remove blood clots and is being kept in a coma until doctors feel it’s safe to bring him out.
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Johnson’s mother provided an update on his condition Monday, which was shared on the fundraising page.
“Very, very small steps,” read the update. “His eyes were open on the first visit and part of the second one. We are pretty sure he knows we’re there. He’s trying to squeeze our hands on request.”
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Johnson is not insured for medical coverage and as of Tuesday morning, the Joey Johnson Medical and Rehabilitation Fund had secured $54,137 of the $150,000 goal.
“We suspect that the hospital bill will be several hundred thousand dollars and hope that the campaign will be able to cover majority of that – until such a time as he can be flown back to Canada,” Kunz wrote to PAN.
aaron.hinks@peacearchnews.com
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