A 20-year-old British tourist has died in Thailand after his family made the heartbreaking decision to withdraw life support following a serious road accident. Ethan Lacey was critically injured when he fell from a moving pickup truck at a busy intersection in Pattaya on May 17.
According to a GoFundMe page set up by his grandmother, Anthea Chatwin, Ethan's life support was removed at 1.45pm on May 27. However, he continues to breathe independently and has been transferred to a palliative care ward. The family is now desperately trying to raise funds to bring him back to the UK, with medical repatriation costs estimated at £150,000 or more.
Ethan's mother, Kerry Eggleton, 41, told how witnesses described the truck's rear wheel running over his head. Doctors later informed the family that Ethan would not improve and that his only prospect of survival would leave him bedridden. After many heartbreaking discussions, the family agreed to stop active treatment.
Ethan had been travelling in Thailand for two months, visiting a relative, before the incident. He was last seen at a nightclub prior to the accident. His family lost contact with him on May 15, and his father, Kevin, received a photo of him in intensive care via Facebook Messenger. Kerry and Kevin immediately flew to Thailand and have remained by his bedside.
The 20-year-old suffered three brain haemorrhages and a punctured lung. Despite initial hopes of transferring him to another hospital, new scans revealed internal bleeding and no prospect of meaningful recovery. The family now faces the daunting task of raising funds for his repatriation.
