A young Australian woman faces an expensive and painful road to recovery after a truck crashed into her car while she was on vacation in Canada.
Chloe Mibus, of Hamilton Victoria, was driving alone in Canada on October 2 when a truck crashed into her driver’s side door.
Mrs. Mibus was momentarily trapped inside her car, but managed to get out of it and call emergency services.
She was rushed to hospital with life-threatening injuries, including a lacerated spleen, severe internal bleeding, multiple broken pelvic bones, a separated pubic symphysis and a fractured sacrum.
Now, Mibus faces up to four months of inpatient care followed by several months of outpatient rehabilitation.
“While I am grateful to be alive, the journey ahead is long, difficult and uncertain,” said Mrs. Mibus.
“Part of me still hopes to wake up from this nightmare, scar-free and able to walk again immediately and have all my blood back where it’s supposed to be.”
Despite having insurance, her medical coverage had a very low limit, leaving her tens of thousands of dollars in debt to pay Canadian hospital fees.
Chloe Mibus (pictured) is desperately trying to return to Australia after a truck crashed into her car while driving on holiday in Canada.
The truck crashed into the driver’s side door and left Ms Mibus with life-threatening injuries, including a lacerated spleen, severe internal bleeding, multiple pelvic bone fractures, a separation of the pubic symphysis and a ruptured sacrum.
His hospital stay alone, excluding treatments, medications and services, cost nearly $5,000 a night.
He is now desperately trying to return to Australia to undergo hip and pelvic realignment surgery, a procedure that would cost him “hundreds of thousands of dollars” if performed in Canada.
He has purchased mobility equipment including a wheelchair, walker and cushion, and unsubsidized medication for the flight home.
Her mother also had to fly to Canada to accompany her on her flight home, as she is not authorized to fly alone.
“The costs for this trip are currently around $50,000,” said Ms. Mibus.
Mibus said if the accident had happened in Australia, he would have been able to focus on his recovery rather than the enormous financial stress it caused him.
In an effort to help pay your hospital bills, she has created a Gofundme to help raise money.
“It has been a rude and rude awakening to realize that if this accident had happened in Australia, there would not be this enormous financial strain on top of the numerous other challenges, such as trying to stay alive,” Ms Mibus said.
‘It is a deeply dehumanizing experience. I admit that creating this GoFundMe brings up a lot of difficult emotions: sadness, shame, shame, devastation, and heartbreak.
“This accident has been hell and I need your support to get through this.”
Mibus said she was “fiercely determined” to focus on her blessings and use the “series of horrors” to become a more compassionate and positive person.
Ms Mibus has started a GoFundMe to help raise money to cover exorbitant medical bills in Canada, her return trip to Australia for surgery, rehabilitation costs and living expenses.
“Although some care will be subsidized in Australia, I am very concerned about the support I will really need to find my place in this world again,” Ms Mibus said.
‘I have lived outside Australia for the past two and a half years so I am concerned about where I might live during rehabilitation and transition back to life in Australia with such crippling physical and financial limitations.
“Because the recovery is so long, my ability to generate income will be significantly impacted for many months, so the thought of more large, unexpected expenses is extremely discouraging.”
He added that those who cannot make a financial contribution can make a difference by hugging their loved ones and counting their blessings.