A young couple were enjoying their travels in Vietnam when the husband suddenly became seriously ill and fell into a coma. Iain Gilbert, of Cardiff, regained consciousness in a Ho Chi Minh City hospital but the 34-year-old is not currently able to speak.
Iain, originally from Australia, and Rachel, 32, from Raglan in Monmouthshire, had spent eight months travelling in his home country, where they got married last October. Before heading home to Cardiff they decided to visit Vietnam. The couple arrived last Saturday but soon afterwards Iain fell ill. On Tuesday night the financial journalist experienced excruciating head pain, vomiting, and then deterioration in speech and movement. He was rushed to hospital in such a serious condition that Rachel feared he had suffered a stroke.
A scan revealed a large brain tumour and within hours Iain had slipped into a coma. The family understand it took less than a day for him to emerge and be responsive again, mostly through eye contact. Rachel's sister Suzanne Atkins told WalesOnline on Thursday: "He is not speaking but Rachel has been speaking to him. His response to being told about the brain tumour was mouthing the words: 'Oh, brilliant.' It was a very Iain response.
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"Initially the doctors thought he had Covid because his breathing deteriorated really quickly. He didn't have Covid but there was fluid coming from his respiratory system into his lungs. His condition did deteriorate and then he pulled himself out of the coma. Rachel has only seen him briefly but she is getting a visit [on Friday]. It's a devastating situation and she's been so strong."
Ho Chi Minh City doctors initially said they would wait until next week to operate on the tumour because Iain's condition was not yet stable enough for surgery. But in an update on Friday, Suzanne said: "Unfortunately in the last few hours Iain’s condition deteriorated again. After another scan, they realised the tumour has grown. Due to this, Iain is now in emergency surgery to remove the tumour."
The costs of the treatment are not yet known but they are expected to be significant. Suzanne has started a Gofundme page in the hope of covering expenses and in just one day it has surged past the £10,000 target to £13,215.
"I've been blown away by the support," said Suzanne. "Rachel has been so cut off, dealing with this situation alone in Vietnam, so everyone's support means everything to her at this point. If anyone is equipped to deal with this it's her. She has been so strong-willed, it's incredible."
Although Iain and Rachel were legally married in Australia last year, they have not yet celebrated their wedding with their family in Wales. The ceremony was postponed four times because of the pandemic and the couple have been looking forward to the event finally taking place on July 1.
Medical costs are uncertain but Suzanne hopes the fundraiser will cover much of the expense. In a message to donors she said: "This money means that Iain can be taken care of without any additional financial stress. It means that Rachel can be with Iain in Vietnam for as long as they need. It will make all the difference, thank you."
You can donate to the Gofundme page here. You can get all the latest breaking news from Wales here.
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