Two Korea-based English teachers who were teaching in Ansan have died while backpacking in Vietnam. Cathy Huynh, 26, of Ontario, Canada, and Karin Bowerman, 27, of Illinois, U.S., were visiting the coastal city of Nha Trang during their week-long vacation from teaching in Korea when the two suddenly became ill on July 30, vomiting several times. They went via taxi from their hotel to a nearby military hospital. Due to acute respiratory problems and zero blood pressure levels they died 2 days apart from each other. Cause of death is still not known.
Justin Gallant, a high-school friend of Cathy Huynh, has set up fund-raising website “Bring Cathy Huynh home” with a goal of $40,000 to help with transport and funeral expenses. Created on Aug. 2, the site raised about $16,000.00 from over 300 donors as of Tuesday morning.
It is interesting to note that if a Pakistani citizen dies, the national airlines of Pakistan: Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) brings the dead body home FREE of charge in case there is a direct flight between the two countries (country where a Pakistani dies and Pakistan). In fact, PIAt is financially one of the weakest air fleets of the world. Moreover, the embassies of Pakistan, world over, are also very helpful in this regard. They take care of all the paper work etc. and even help monetarily through a special fund set up to tackle such cases. I know of this, because during my stay in South Korea and working in the area of migrant workers, I saw the help extended by PIA and Pakistan embassies quite often. On the other hand, Canada is an economically very stable country compared to Pakistan (and so is the United States), it is also a member of OECD. Air Canada is a rich airlines but they do NOT offer any help to the bereaved families or offer support for the transportation of a dead body of their citizens back to their country, despite the fact that there are regular flights of Air Canada between Seoul and various cities in -Canada. This is quite shameful.
Where friends are rallying for fund-raising to transport the dead body of the Canadian teacher, I strongly recommend them to start a movement for "free transport of a dead body" by airlines from Canada, USA and Europe. Isn't it humane and ethically right?
May the two souls rest in peace and may God give strength and courage to their families to bear this loss.
For inquiries, email: bringcathyhome@gmail.com.
For information on making donations, visit www.gofundme.com/z81i8.
For details read HERE and HERE.
Posts
sarahinsouthkorea
