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Post Info TOPIC: Pregnant Australian woman who went into labor at 26 weeks while snorkeling in Hawaii is handed a MILLION-DOLLAR hospital
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Pregnant Australian woman who went into labor at 26 weeks while snorkeling in Hawaii is handed a MILLION-DOLLAR hospital
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Pregnant Australian woman who went into labor at 26 weeks while snorkeling in Hawaii is handed a MILLION-DOLLAR hospital bill

  • Australian couple's baby born at 26 weeks during Hawaiian holiday in June
  • Kylie Lovejoy and Brendan Wright hit with hospital bill over $1 million
  • Friends and family have launched a crowdfunding page to raise the money
  • Aim is to raise more than $50,000 in the next 100 days for the new family 

By Liam Quinn For Daily Mail Australia

Published: 10:43 EST, 18 July 2015 | Updated: 16:52 EST, 18 July 2015

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An Australian couple on the holiday of a lifetime will come home with much more than they expected, after their son was born at just 26 weeks - a surprise which could end up costing them millions of dollars.

Brisbane couple Kylie Lovejoy and Brendan Wright were holidaying in Hawaii last month when their baby boy, Phoenix Koa, arrived well ahead of schedule.

Ms Lovejoy said everything started when she was snorkeling with manta rays under the moonlight in Honolulu.

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Kylie Lovejoy and Brendan Wright were holidaying in Hawaii last month when their baby boy, Phoenix Koa, arrived at just 26 weeks
 
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Kylie Lovejoy and Brendan Wright were holidaying in Hawaii last month when their baby boy, Phoenix Koa, arrived at just 26 weeks

'During the snorkel I could feel a strange sensation, like I was going to the bathroom, but not in control of it,' the surprised mum wrote on a fundraising page detailing her story.

'I was playing it down, saying, 'Lets just go back to the hotel and Google it, it might be no big deal'.

 

'Once I Googled, and my partner called his nurse Mum in Australia, it was clear we needed to get to the hospital pronto.'

However, once the soon-to-be parents arrived at the hospital, their story almost took a tragic turn.

Ms Lovejoy said everything started when she was snorkeling with manta rays under the moonlight in Honolulu
 
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Ms Lovejoy said everything started when she was snorkeling with manta rays under the moonlight in Honolulu

Phoenix Koa came as a surprise to his parents when he arrived well ahead of schedule
 
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Phoenix Koa came as a surprise to his parents when he arrived well ahead of schedule

The small hospital in Kona was not equipped to deliver a baby so premature, meaning potentially precious seconds ticked away. 

Ms Lovejoy was then rushed onto a 40-minute flight to Kapiʻolani Medical Center for Women and Children in Honolulu, where the expert team hooked her up to 'monitors galore with drips, needles, pokes and prods'.

'It was touch and go for a while - it was all very dramatic,' she wrote.

'The Doctors didn’t want baby to come... they advised me that I would now be in hospital with limited movement for what they were hoping was 8 weeks or so until baby reached 32 weeks, which was a safer time to be delivered.

'By that afternoon the contractions were getting stronger and closer together, but the staff couldn’t really confirm that I was in labor.

'A few hours later, I woke and felt an urgent need to push! Before I knew it, the room was completely full of medical staff, well over a dozen. I was still half asleep... but I just had to give it my all and push.'

Ms Lovejoy had to be flown to Honolulu from nearby island where the local hospital was not equipped to help her
 
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Ms Lovejoy had to be flown to Honolulu from nearby island where the local hospital was not equipped to help her

Since Phoenix's arrival, he has still had 'a few mishaps', but is said to be doing very well
 
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Since Phoenix's arrival, he has still had 'a few mishaps', but is said to be doing very well

Since Phoenix's arrival, he has still had 'a few mishaps', but is said to be doing very well. 

However, just one day after their baby boy was born, the parents learned a three-month hospital stay means they will be hit with a mammoth, million-dollar bill.

With potentially crippling costs hanging over its head, the family is hoping an unconventional method could help them square the ledger.

'My travel insurance will cover my medical bills, which is great because I'd hate to think how much the medivac flight alone would be... but at the moment it's still uncertain if anything further will be covered,' Ms Lovejoy wrote.

'We are pursuing every avenue possible to gain appropriate health insurance to pay for Phoenix’s medical bill. I was also informed it will exceed 1 million US dollars.'

Ms Lovejoy and her baby boy will have to stay in their Hawaii hospital until September
 
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Ms Lovejoy and her baby boy will have to stay in their Hawaii hospital until September

Distraught at watching one of her life-long friends have to think about such terrifying bills at the worst possible time, Priscilla Sutton launched a YouCaring campaign to help cover the costs. 

'Kylie isn’t one to ask for help, so this is where her friends have stepped in,' Ms Sutton wrote.

'I hope that many of you are able to donate to help out this beautiful family... ll funds raised will go immediately to Kylie to help her along the way.' 

The crowdfunding page has set a goal or raising at least $50,000 in the next 100 days. At the time of writing, more than $3000 had been pledged to support Ms Lovejoy and Mr Wright.

To donate or stay updated with the story, click here. 

 
Australian doctor's study into effects of premature birth
 
video-3746807633001-643_636x358.jpg
 
Just one day after their baby boy was born, the parents learned a three-month hospital stay means they will be hit with a mammoth, million-dollar bill
 
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Just one day after their baby boy was born, the parents learned a three-month hospital stay means they will be hit with a mammoth, million-dollar bill

'We are pursuing every avenue possible to gain appropriate health insurance to pay for Phoenix’s medical bill. I was also informed it will exceed 1 million US dollars,' Ms Lovejoy wrote
 
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'We are pursuing every avenue possible to gain appropriate health insurance to pay for Phoenix’s medical bill. I was also informed it will exceed 1 million US dollars,' Ms Lovejoy wrote



Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3166426/Australian-couple-baby-boy-born-just-26-weeks-holiday-Hawaii-forced-pay-MILLIONS-hospital-fees.html#ixzz3gKzIlDMN
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RE: Pregnant Australian woman who went into labor at 26 weeks while snorkeling in Hawaii is handed a MILLION-DOLLAR hosp
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So why didn't they do what most people do when traveling to another country and buy a supplemental insurance policy? Sure, what a burden on them to have such a huge bill they probably will not be able to pay, but it could have been prevented. Quite the conundrum.

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It said she had travelers insurance but it seems it only covered the mother and not the baby. Trying to find travelers insurance that covered the baby was probably impossible.








I had to get travelers insurance for DD's trip to Sweden and finding insurance that covered her participation in sports was next to impossible. None of the supplemental policies I could find covered it. I had to call more than one agent to find it and they weren't very eager to help me as it wouldn't make them any money. The insurance I could find myself didn't cover it.

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ed11563


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The newborn is an American Citizen, and should qualify for "Obamacare". Sign him up.



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ed11563 wrote:

The newborn is an American Citizen, and should qualify for "Obamacare". Sign him up.

 I don't think it's retroactive. 



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Mellow Momma wrote:

It said she had travelers insurance but it seems it only covered the mother and not the baby. Trying to find travelers insurance that covered the baby was probably impossible.








I had to get travelers insurance for DD's trip to Sweden and finding insurance that covered her participation in sports was next to impossible. None of the supplemental policies I could find covered it. I had to call more than one agent to find it and they weren't very eager to help me as it wouldn't make them any money. The insurance I could find myself didn't cover it.

 So I suppose the only thing to do is not travel when pregnant, although, at 26 weeks along, who would ever think she would go into labor?



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Pregnant Australian woman who went into labor at 26 weeks while snorkeling in Hawaii is handed a MILLION-DOLLAR hospital
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The was a case recently of a Canadian. 6 months pregnant and gave birth. Blue cross travel insurance would have covered the bill but claimed she had treated for a high risk pregnancy so it was pretty existing.

 

So insurance should be available

 



-- Edited by cadiver on Sunday 19th of July 2015 11:09:04 AM

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RE: Pregnant Australian woman who went into labor at 26 weeks while snorkeling in Hawaii is handed a MILLION-DOLLAR hosp
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Well that sad fact is, we all American taxpayers will be footing the bill, or perhaps just the Hawaiians through increased insurance premiums if it's a private hospital. Not sure how that works.

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I hope she's able to find coverage for the hospital stay. I can't imagine being hit with a million dollar hospital bill.

I can't help but think that had she not been snorkeling, she wouldn't have had her baby. I'm thinking the water pressure may have set things in motion.

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chef wrote:

I hope she's able to find coverage for the hospital stay. I can't imagine being hit with a million dollar hospital bill.

I can't help but think that had she not been snorkeling, she wouldn't have had her baby. I'm thinking the water pressure may have set things in motion.

 Snorkeling wouldn't do that, you snorkel swimming across the surface.  SCUBA yes but not snorkeling.  As for her paying the bill, can't get blood from a stone.  No way can she pay that bill.



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And this is news because? If I went to Australia and gave birth to a premie that would need to be in NICU for three months would it be free? I seriously doubt it.

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Domestic Engineer wrote:

And this is news because? If I went to Australia and gave birth to a premie that would need to be in NICU for three months would it be free? I seriously doubt it.

Yeah, I'm not sure what people expect here.  Sure, a million dollars is a lot of money--but a 3 month hospital stay isn't free.  SOMEONE is going to pay for this one way or another whether it be the people who received the services, private donations, other patients of this hospital, or the taxpayer.   



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I know what to do_sometimes wrote:
chef wrote:

I hope she's able to find coverage for the hospital stay. I can't imagine being hit with a million dollar hospital bill.

I can't help but think that had she not been snorkeling, she wouldn't have had her baby. I'm thinking the water pressure may have set things in motion.

 Snorkeling wouldn't do that, you snorkel swimming across the surface.  SCUBA yes but not snorkeling.  As for her paying the bill, can't get blood from a stone.  No way can she pay that bill.

When I snorkeled in Catalina, we did so both on the surface and about 10-15 feet underwater. I was thinking that maybe she was snorkeling underwater. 



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I really don't see what difference this makes to her. It's not like they can keep the baby until she pays or that a U.S. hospital bill will affect her Australian credit. This will all be shifted to higher hospital bills for everyone else to cover it. Which affects insurance premiums. We all lose.

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cadiver wrote:

The was a case recently of a Canadian. 6 months pregnant and gave birth. Blue cross travel insurance would have covered the bill but claimed she had treated for a high risk pregnancy so it was pretty existing.

 

So insurance should be available

 



-- Edited by cadiver on Sunday 19th of July 2015 11:09:04 AM

 A friend of the family just had something similar happen.  She went into labour at 30 weeks while in North Dakota.  Travel insurance covered her costs,  but not the baby's.  Cost of the 1.5 hour medivac back to Canada?  $250k.



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elphaba wrote:
cadiver wrote:

The was a case recently of a Canadian. 6 months pregnant and gave birth. Blue cross travel insurance would have covered the bill but claimed she had treated for a high risk pregnancy so it was pretty existing.

 

So insurance should be available

 



-- Edited by cadiver on Sunday 19th of July 2015 11:09:04 AM

 A friend of the family just had something similar happen.  She went into labour at 30 weeks while in North Dakota.  Travel insurance covered her costs,  but not the baby's.  Cost of the 1.5 hour medivac back to Canada?  $250k.

Too bad she couldn't drive to the nearest Canadian hospital. 

Unless there were complications, it would have been a lot cheaper to have the baby in North Dakota. But people don't comparison shop at that point.

 



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One problem is when you are in distress and an ambulance or helicopter is involved, you have no choice as to which facility they should bring you so if you are brought to an out of network hospital and the helicopter/ambulance is also out of network you will be handed a huge bill, that issue needs to be addressed quickly.

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chef wrote:
I know what to do_sometimes wrote:
chef wrote:

I hope she's able to find coverage for the hospital stay. I can't imagine being hit with a million dollar hospital bill.

I can't help but think that had she not been snorkeling, she wouldn't have had her baby. I'm thinking the water pressure may have set things in motion.

 Snorkeling wouldn't do that, you snorkel swimming across the surface.  SCUBA yes but not snorkeling.  As for her paying the bill, can't get blood from a stone.  No way can she pay that bill.

When I snorkeled in Catalina, we did so both on the surface and about 10-15 feet underwater. I was thinking that maybe she was snorkeling underwater. 

That much depth would not make any real difference. My sister dove and swam much later in her pregnancy than that, with zero problems.  



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elphaba wrote:
cadiver wrote:

The was a case recently of a Canadian. 6 months pregnant and gave birth. Blue cross travel insurance would have covered the bill but claimed she had treated for a high risk pregnancy so it was pretty existing.

 

So insurance should be available

 



-- Edited by cadiver on Sunday 19th of July 2015 11:09:04 AM

 A friend of the family just had something similar happen.  She went into labour at 30 weeks while in North Dakota.  Travel insurance covered her costs,  but not the baby's.  Cost of the 1.5 hour medivac back to Canada?  $250k.

 I figured that travel insurance wouldn't cover the baby. Having just purchased travel insurance I can tell you it's very very restrictive. 



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