Scots man who collapsed in Florida may never walk again if family can't bring him home
A carpenter who collapsed on a bathroom floor in Florida may never walk again and be ' bedridden for life' if he doesn't get home to Scotland.
Gordon Milloy, from Kilmarnock, now lives in Fort Lauderdale and suffered heart and kidney failure, which triggered multiple strokes on Tuesday, March 4. The 50-year-old is now stuck in the US in HCA Florida JFK Hospital as his family battle to bring him home to Scotland for treatment.
He has a health insurance policy with the Florida Blue, who have offered to place Gordon in a Skilled Nursing Facility (SNF). However, his brother Brian Milloy, 57, believes that a Acute Rehabilitation Facility (IRF) will be more effective in getting him back on his feet.
SNF is usually offered to patients who are too weak or unstable to tolerate intensive therapy and can act as an intermediate option before going forward with IRF.
Brian said: 'The insurance company is denying him access to acute rehabilitation claiming he's not fit enough to complete it - despite doctors saying he's ready to be discharged.
"They are offering Skilled Nursing. It is proving very difficult to find a SNF with dialysis on hand - which he currently requires three times per week as his liver function is still in the balance.
"In Scotland, Gordon will be offered IRF. We need to get him back home.
"Without acute rehab and specialised equipment, he'll likely remain bedridden for the rest of his life. He will basically have no life at all."
His brother Brian also lives in Florida and found Gordon collapsed and clinging to life in his home in early March.
He said: 'Gordon was lying collapsed on the bathroom floor. He had heart and kidney failure which had caused multiple strokes. The doctors reckon his heart was only functioning at 20% at one point.'
Gordon's family now hope to get him back to Scotland where he can get access to NHS care and receive the treatment he needs.
Brian added: "For him to have any sort of life, he needs to be home in Scotland where he has access to the NHS. It is very doubtful that he'll ever be able to work again either. He won't be able to support himself financially in the US.
"We need to get him back to Scotland where he'll receive dialysis, post-stroke care and acute rehabilitation. It would be better all round."
The cost to fly Gordon home through a US medical flights is believed to be around £300,000. Companies in the UK also quoted the family around £100,000 to £150,000.
The family has now found a German firm partnered with Lufthansa, AirAmbulance24, who offered the flight, complete with a stretcher, medical team, and ground transport, for just under £50,000.
Now, Brian has launched a GoFundMe, which has already raised over nearly £21,000, in a desperate bid to raise the funds.
'I'm reaching out to anyone who can help get my brother Gordy back to Scotland for the proper care required to hopefully live a somewhat normal life again,' he said.
'We just want him home. He deserves a chance. He's a gentle giant who's been through hell.'
To support the Milloy family's fight to bring Gordon home, visit their GoFundMe page - https://gofund.me/6e12c439.
Florida Blue were approached for comment but said they couldn't comment on individual cases.
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