What was meant to be a joyous celebration of 37 years of marriage turned into a harrowing medical nightmare for a Colorado couple. Guy Matlock, 64, found himself battling for his life in a Copenhagen hospital after contracting a devastating ‘super virus’ during a European cruise. Now, his family is desperately trying to bring him home.
Guy and Adrian Matlock and their friends Kim and George embarked on a 14-day cruise around northern Europe on September 14, 2024. For the Matlocks, it was their first venture outside the United States, a trip meant to commemorate nearly four decades of matrimony. However, just six days into their journey, Matlock began experiencing flu-like symptoms that rapidly escalated into a critical medical emergency.
According to Matlock’s daughter Moriah, who spoke to KDVR, “They pulled into port as soon as possible … They found that he had flu A, pneumonia, and sepsis, essentially turned into a super virus within his body and started attacking his major organs.”
The Man’s Battle Against The ‘Super Virus’
The virulent infection wreaked havoc on Matlock’s body, causing multiple organ failures. His heart, kidneys, and lungs were the first to succumb, with Matlock going into full cardiac arrest. While his heart has begun to recover and his lungs have shown improvement, the ordeal has left him with significant brain damage.
Reports indicate that Matlock is still not fully conscious and requires a ventilator to breathe. The infection has also caused mini-strokes in his parietal lobes, further complicating his recovery. As he fights for his life in a foreign country, his family faces the daunting task of returning him to the United States. The cost of a medical evacuation flight exceeds $150,000, far surpassing the coverage provided by their insurance policies.
The Matlock family has turned to GoFundMe to raise the necessary funds, with Moriah explaining, “The medevac flight home (only travel option due to condition) is over $150,000, the main insurance will cover $4,000 and traveler’s insurance will cover $20,000. Before a flight can be booked this payment is needed up-front.”
The Challenges Of Medical Care Abroad
Adrian Matlock has remained by her husband’s side in Copenhagen. She faces the isolating experience of navigating a foreign healthcare system. Moriah highlighted the additional challenges posed by the language barrier, stating to KDVR, “It’s very isolating in a different country, a country where you don’t know any of the language and there’s so many different societal changes. His brain just isn’t getting enough stimulation from the Danish society, because he just hears the different languages and he isn’t able to compute.”
