Family are rallying to get Treena and Bruce Clement to Australia where their 25-year-old son has suffered a serious medical emergency.
A GoFundMe campaign posted Tuesday says the Clements were awakened in the early morning hours of June 10 by police at their door to deliver news that their son, Matthew, 25, was in critical condition at a hospital in Brisbane.
Matthew has spent the last ten months in Australia, taking part in a two-year working vacation program. His employer in Queensland sent him home on June 10, as he was visibly sick, says the post. During his commute, he lost consciousness and his vehicle came to a stop on the highway.
Bruce Clement told SooToday that a passing motorist stopped to lend a hand and found Matthew draped over the steering wheel.
The younger Clement was diagnosed with a life-threatening brain aneurysm and was flown from Queensland to Brisbane, where he underwent emergency brain surgery, said his father, a local businessman.
Matthew's outlook is uncertain at this time. What is known is that he will spend the next three or more weeks in a medically-induced coma while his brain heals. Afterwards, it is anticipated that he will be facing lengthy physiotherapy.
The fundraising campaign seeks to get Matthew's parents to Australia so that when their son wakes up, he is not alone. As of late Wednesday afternoon the campaign had raised more than $2,847. The GoFundMe post says one round-trip flight to Australia could cost upwards of $2,500.