FRIDAY
May 24, 1996

North Van boy dies
after misdiagnosis
in foreign hospital

BY ANNA MARIE D'ANGELO
News Reporter

BARRY Christiansen’s nine-year-
old son, Owen, had gone to visit his
grandmother in Thailand in April.

Less than a month later on May 6, the
Queensbury elementary student was dead of an
unknown disease and about to be cremated.

His | 1-year-oid sister. Sissi, wis in a nearby
hospital with the same symptoms as her brother.
Doctors said she had tonsillitis.

Christiansen was not buying it. Stunned by
*. his son's sudden death, Christiansen tried every-

thing to get help for his daughter. The litde girl
had a fever and was starting to bleed through the
nose. ;

“You're up in the middle of northern
Thailand ear Laos. Nobody cares." said
Christiansen yesterday. ; ;

, ° “The doctors said to wait for the next: symp-
_ tom. That symptom would have been death.” he
"said,

After contacting everyone he cyuld think of,
a desperate Christiansen resorted to looking
through his wallet for ideas.

He came across his American Express gold
card and a fist of numbers. At the top of the fist
was who to call if the card was stolen. Near the
bottom was a number in case of “medical glob-

_ al emergencies.”

After 20 collect calls to Washington D.C. and -

-; concerned calls back. Sissi was conectly diag-
nosed and treated for the sometimes-fatal
dengue hemorrhagic fever.

The viral infection is carried by mosquitoes
and is common to Asia, including the Sewang
Dan Dinh area where the grandmother lived.

Both children were originally diagnosed with
a cold:

Christiansen is overwhelnied by the actions
of American Express employees whom he ered-
its as saving his daughter's life.

The credit card company contacted medical
people in Hong Keng who suggested the litte
girl be sent to Bangkok. Sissi was sent to

. Thailand’s capital city and received proper med-
ical care.

Christiansen said American Express kept him
posted on what was happening with his daugh-

“ter, She couldn't be flown home immediately in
case she started bleeding on the plane.

The North Vancouver native was dreading
the thought of Sissi having to get a blood trans-

fusion in Thailand should she start bleeding a lot

as the result of the infection,

American Express phoned back to say that
the blood in question was tested for AIDS and
other infections. but it was not [00% safe,

Fortunately, Sissi didn't need a transfusion,
but the Thai hospital did charge Christiansen

- $500 for having blood units on hand.
Itcost the finily $10,006 in medical charges

Entertainment
& Home & Garden 13
@ Inquiring Reporter 10

& Classifieds..................32
_ @ Crossword ... 37

@ Lautens

i
fy
tac
os
in

Cee RE aUES

NEWS photo Paul McGrath

BARRY Christiansen hoids a picture of his son Owen, who died May 6 in Thailand after
his iliness was misdiagnosed. Christiansen got help to save ailing daughter Sissi.

and plane Nights to. get the young girl well
enough to come home. Christiansen said there is
no charge from American Express for its con-
sultation,

He said the $125 he pays in the annual fee for

his credit card turned oul to be a lifesaver. The
experience has not changed his contention that
2166 imerest on a credit card ti a ripoff.

“Here is the good side of a credit card... They
were the only ones that cared.” said

@ North Shore Alert.......4
@ Real Estate ......
B Talking Personals .....36
@ TV Listings 00.0024

Christiansen.

The Christiansen children, a cousin and an
aunt had gone to visit the grandmother. The
grandmother caised Owen until the age of five
while his mother, Tukata. worked in Bangkok to
support the “arnily.

Tukatt Christitusen has been tiving in North
Vancouver for about live years. Tukate’s other
daughter, Sassi, 13. did not go on the visit to
Thailand.

Election ‘96

For profiles of the North
Shore candidates see
pages 8 and 9 of today’s
North Shore News.

Weather if

Saturday: Sun and cloud
High 22'C, low 9°C.

Liberal
swap
assailed

BY ROBERT GALSTER
Contributing Writer

SOCRED leader Larry
Gillanders’ latest proposal
to the Liberals is being met
with derision.

Gillanders offered to pull 20
Social Credit cundidates in key
Liberal ridings in exchange for the
Liberals withdrawing their candidate
in West Vancouver-Capilano, a seat
Gillanders is seeking.

“T have stated an numerous occa-
sions, ever since [ was elected leader
of the Social Credit Party, that defeat
of the NDP government was my
paramount concern.” said Gillanders,
adding. “Social Credit would consid-
er any reasonable proposal to form a
coalition to defeat the NDP.” ;

He added that his proposal was
actually a counier-proposa) to Liberal
Party brass attempts to have all 38
Social Credit candidates stand aside
in the May 28 election. Gillanders
said he refused because standing
aside does not constitute a “coali-
tion.”

“Ema leader of a party, Pve made
a commitment to 37 of my candi-
dates.” said Gillanders.

The man in the hot seat. Jeremy
Dalton, West’ Vancouver-Capilano
Liberal MLA, responded by calling
Gillanders a “desperate man.”

“it's very kind af people to think
that I'm worth 20 of anything.”
Dalton said jokingly before ripping
inte the Sucred leader. .

“It's ludicrous io think a deal
would be cut with somone who's not
a player in the game.” said Dalton.
“Even Ub was going to drop out of
the race. Mr Gillanders would not
win this race”

But Gillanders points to the
Libe making the first: contact
between the parties as an indicator of
his party's standing.

“Who's desperate? FH tell you
who's desperate right now: it's the
Liberals,” said Gillanders.

The 20-for-one offer also caught
other Soereds off-guard.

Jonn Kanickey. Soctal Credit can-
didate in) the North Vancouver-

See NV Socred page &

"WAY 24TH -

WEST VANCOUVER SECONDARY SCHOOL