GWINNETT COUNTY, GA — A Gwinnett County man remains hospitalized in Thailand after suffering a medical emergency during a powerful earthquake in Southeast Asia.
Joshua Fekete, 36, had only been in Thailand for a week after moving for a new teaching job when he suffered a heart attack and developed a severe appendix infection. His condition quickly worsened, with his mother, Sylvia Johnson, confirming he also developed sepsis and clogged arteries.
Just as Fekete was preparing for emergency surgery, a 7.7-magnitude earthquake struck Myanmar. The hospital was forced to evacuate patients. “They had to move the patients outside in the parking lot in the beds, and that was frightening,” Johnson said.
Now, Fekete remains in what his family describes as “medical limbo.” Johnson is desperate to bring her son home to Georgia but says the chaotic state of recovery in Thailand is complicating communication and insurance logistics.
“He was in a lot of pain because he had to wait so long, and we were worried that he might be in real trouble, not having the surgery right away,” she said. “At this point, he’s not well enough to be away.”
The family is now exploring options to safely transport Fekete back to the U.S. for continued treatment.
Sign Up
