Half a World Away: U.S. Embassy Worker

Embassy worker rescued by AirMed International

"The only company I want with me and my loved ones."

Kirk Bradham of Missouri passed a complete physical before he began his job at the U.S. Embassy in the Kyrgyz Republic. As a State Department employee, he was also required to purchase medical evacuation coverage before he left for his overseas duties.

“Having searched for medevac coverage with other providers and/or brokers of medevac services, I quickly realized that the services offered by AirMed could not be matched by the other competitors,” Bradham recalled. In his late 30s and in good general health when he bought the AirMed membership, Bradham never expected to see the AirMed card again once he placed it in his wallet.

Just months later, Mr. Bradham began suffering from severe lower leg pain. After a week went by and the pain did not subside, his wife, Polina, convinced him to go see a doctor. He was diagnosed with a blood clot in the lower right leg. A transport to another hospital so that he could receive proper treatment was imminent. Immediately AirMed stepped into action and was shortly en route to Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan.

“The U.S. Embassy nurse contacted AirMed as they considered a blood clot to be a potentially life threatening con-dition that required immediate attention as well as the fact that I had almost

no blood supply to my right foot due to the blockage,” Bradham said. He was hospitalized temporarily at a military facility while the embassy nurse contacted AirMed.

“Being told that your condition is serious enough to initialize a medical evacuation is AirMed rescues U.S. Embassy worker from western Asia extremely stressful to not only the patient but to the family members, so it is hard to make people feel at ease from first words or meetings. So when I saw the embassy rep hug the AirMed nurse on the tarmac, well, that certainly eased my mind.

“For us (my wife and I), AirMed made us feel that we were in good hands from the very beginning when we first met on the tarmac beside the plane. We were met with smiles, talked to with respect, and genuine concern was shown to us throughout the process.”

Bradham and his wife boarded the AirMed Hawker medical jet for their 26 hour flight back to the United States. The Hawker 800 is larger than typical medical aircraft and in most cases provides room enough for a spouse or loved one to travel with the patient.

“The ability to have your spouse travel with you is a great benefit that should not be overlooked when you are dealing with a medical condition and all the stress that comes with it. It was such a valuable benefit that I would suggest everyone who is searching for a medical evacuation plan insist on it being included.”

Bradham noted on his AirMed transport, “By the time the medical evacuation was over and I was back home in Missouri, I felt that they were not only professionals who ensured my safe transport back to the U.S., but that we had made new friends. I loved the personal interaction during the care giving process and can not begin to explain how grateful I am for everything they did.”

Once at the hospital in Missouri, two surgeries performed with micro-incisions were required along with blood thinning medication to remove the clot completely from Mr. Bradham’s leg.

“My advice is simple: prepare for the worst and choose the best.

“Choose a solid, tested air medical company that will stand beside you throughout the whole ordeal, a company that stays focused on the goal, which is getting you safely back home to a medical facility that can treat you. After my experience, I can honestly say that AirMed is the only company that I want with me and my loved ones.”

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From the moment they came to get me, they were focused on getting me home. It was 100 percent care.

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AirMed wasn’t just getting the job done, it was a hallmark in my life.

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