A World Away From Home, A Student In Peril

[Global Rescue]

Lily Goodman, center, at the Great Wall

Student travel abroad nearly always includes fun, adventure and expanded horizons. Safety, however, is never a guarantee. Sixteen-year-old Lily Goodman and her mother, Joan Davis, realized this when Lily traveled to China during her junior year in high school. Lily had travel insurance through her school. When a family friend adamantly suggested Global Rescue, Davis purchased the extra protection.

Equipped with her school work, travel necessities and a Global Rescue membership, Lily proceeded to Beijing to live with a host family for the year.

The trouble started on a group trip to Southern China. Six hours away from her host home and an ocean away from her family, Lily started to vomit blood.

“While in Southern China, Lily ended up getting some kind of gastro-intestinal virus, maybe food poisoning. We didn’t know,” said Davis. “First, they took her to the village doctor. Then they transferred her in an ambulance for three hours to a closer, regular hospital. It was very scary. When I got off the phone, I was just sitting there thinking, ‘What am I going to do? I don’t speak the language. My kid is way over there.’”

Lily begins her junior year in China

Given the language barrier, Davis and her husband, Robert, did not understand the test results that were being sent over.

Davis immediately called Global Rescue. The company launched into action, contacting the Chinese hospital and establishing communication with the physicians. Global Rescue also assisted in translating correspondence and records between Lily’s family and the doctors in China. Global Rescue medical personnel spent time reviewing the medical reports in detail with Robert, a recently retired orthopedic surgeon.

“I’m a firm believer in Global Rescue,” he stated.

Three days after being admitted into the hospital, Lily was cleared by Chinese doctors to go home. However, upon reviewing Lily’s latest test results, Global Rescue’s medical personnel did not agree.

Davis recalled: “Global Rescue’s medical team said, ‘No, we don’t think that she should leave right now. Her test numbers do not look good. She’s not up to the standard of care we would have if she were here in the U.S.’”

On the recommendation of Global Rescue, the Chinese hospital kept Lily and continued to give her fluids.

Finally, Lily was released from the hospital. She traveled back to Beijing with plans to see a doctor there. Following her recovery, Lily finished the semester and returned home to the U.S.

Looking back, Davis noted, “It was a horrible experience but Global Rescue made it lot easier for me.”

She did not feel out of control, despite the stress of having a very sick child far from home. “Global Rescue personnel were on the phone with me constantly. Global Rescue was also on the phone with the Chinese medical staff and with the director of Lily’s school.”

Concluded Davis: “We have three other kids. We’ve now purchased the Global Rescue family membership. We really believe in Global Rescue.”

Lily looks out across Beijing