Jay Rothstein - Help us bring Him Home

Hi, my name is Deb and I'm fundraising for my brother Jay to bring him back to the U.S. for medical treatment and recovery.

Jay (Jerry) Rothstein traveled to Pasig City, Philippines on October 4, 2022. With his next birthday in May of 2023 turning the big 6-0, Jay was looking for an adventure. Destination, the Philippines.

The long, 22-hour flight was the start of his medical nightmare. He believed he acquired a blood clot in his right leg from the flight. He was in excruciating pain and struggled to walk. Seeking medical care when his left leg started having issues, he was told he had tight muscles in his left leg from trying to compensate for his right leg. Unable to get around, Jay had a big fall. That caused the large hematoma because his blood was so thin. After almost 4 months he was taken by emergency methods to an Emergency room at St. Luke's Medical Center (Global City). He was quickly admitted.

Upon admission on 1/19/2023, many tests were performed. It was discovered that his INR was at 6, which is not good. They found a very large hematoma in his upper left leg. The hematoma was pressing on his nerves, causing him to have no feeling in his left leg below his knee. His red blood cell (RBC) count was low, he has undergone multiple blood transfusions as the RBC was continuing to drop. Jay underwent quadruple heart surgery approx. 2 to 3 years ago, and everything with his heart seems to be stable. His current medical team in the Philippines consists of a hematologist and Cardiologist.

After almost one week in the hospital, on 1/24/2023 he underwent microscopic aspiration to drain the large hematoma. The surgery was mostly successful. The doctors were able to aspirate 3/4 of the blood from his leg. A drip bag with a tube was inserted into the hematoma to allow the remaining blood to drain. There were also 2 large dried-up blood clots in the hematoma area that the doctors decided to leave, hoping they will dissolve on their own.

Jay still has no feeling in his leg. He cannot bear weight and is 100% bedridden. Medical staff will no longer do transfers to get him out of bed and onto the toilet due to falls trying to do so.

Once Jay is released from St. Luke's Medical Center (Global City) he will be unable to care for himself. He is alone in a foreign country with the help only of a very small Filipino woman, who is not equipped to care for someone in his condition. She cannot do transfers from a wheelchair for bathroom, hygiene, etc.

His family back home in the U.S. are desperately trying to get him back home to the U.S. for proper medical care. It will be a long road to recovery. I contacted the US Embassy Philippines for help and had an initial conversation with an officer on 1/24/2023. Our family is close to exhausting our savings in helping to pay for current medical expenses to keep him in the hospital for treatment. His health insurance does not cover medical care internationally.

In his current condition, Jay cannot fly commercially. He requires a medical evacuation flight with medical personnel.

The funds raised will go to:

Our family wants to get Jay home safely and quickly so he may continue the road to recovery with the support of his family. We are very afraid that if we do not get Jay home to the U.S., he may not make it in the Philippines.

Please, find it in your heart to donate anything you can to help #BRINGJAYHOME

My family is very humbled to reach out for this help. We truly appreciate every dollar given. We will continue to update this page with news, photos, and updates. Please bear with me as I learn to navigate the functions and tools GoFundMe has to offer.

Thank you,

From the Family of Jay Rothstein