Hi, my name is Gary Franz. My Vietnamese husband, Ban Cao, was visiting his family in Vietnam when he got a fish bone stuck in his throat. He went to 2 hospitals in Rach Gia, his hometown where his family lives, but they couldn’t find it and said he needed a better hospital in Ho Chĩ Mình City. He was transferred by ambulance to

Chổ Ray Hospital (Bệnh Viện Chợ Rẫy)

201B Nguyễn Chí Thanh

Phuong 12, Quân 5

TP HCM

Phone# 011 84 3855-4137.

I flew there from Florida as soon as I could. Some of his family members met me at the hospital to translate for me since I only speak English.

Ban is in a dorm room filled with about 10 other beds. He was still sedated from the throat operation but recognized me as I woke him up, and his eyes filled up, but he couldn’t talk.

They finally got the fish bone out of his throat, but say he now needs kidney treatment, even though Ban has never had kidney problems. I asked to see blood records to show kidney problems, but they refused to show me anything. Another American friend (former Vietnamese) also showed up at the hospital, but he couldn’t get any information out of them, either.

We all think the hospital is holding him hostage since they think all Americans are rich.

They say he needs “special medicine” which they refuse to tell me what and why. That will make his dorm room bed rate go from $400 per day to over $800 per day. I just don’t have that kind of money. Friends of ours donated some, but that was gone in the first 3 days.

Now they say he needs to be there for 3 more weeks. I asked for him to be released to me so I could bring him back to America where we can use our United Healthcare Medicare plan to complete the treatment, if he really needs it. Once again, they refused.

I started this page to raise money to pay for the next 3 weeks bed rate until I can figure out what else I can do.

If you know of any other legal ways to stop this, please let me know. I have an appointment with the US Consulate in Saigon on Monday, Sept 9th at 2 pm. I need to show proof of marriage and to see if they can help me get Ban released so I can bring him back to Florida where we live, for proper medical care, if it’s even needed at this point.

Any donations will be greatly appreciated. I need to bring Ban back home. Please help me.