British boy 'too scared to travel' home from Australia

[Dave Noble]

teenage British boy with a form of autism is stranded in Australia because he is too scared to travel by air or sea home to England.

Thomas Hill's family moved to Sydney in January 2008 to start a new life but decided to return recently because they were homesick.

But 16-year-old Thomas, who has been diagnosed with Asperger syndrome, is still in Sydney with his mum Lisa because he has panic attacks about travelling

Full details at British boy 'too scared to travel' home from Australia

 

[Flashback]

Full details at British boy 'too scared to travel' home from Australia

Give him a good dose of tranqs and he'll be fine!

 

[Bundy Bear]

Maybe the kid is the smart one: knowing how bad the weather and the economy is in the UK I would not be going there.

 

[samh004]

I can't believe how many stories recently have chosen to blame aspergers syndrome for things. There was that kid that rode his bike from Brisbane to Sydney without telling his mum. Fair enough, aspies often have a particular obsession that overrules logic, but not this too. He wont fly because he has aspergers syndrome. What a crock, what he has is a fear of flying. Or by the sounds of things, a fear of travelling in general.

I have aspergers syndrome. I don't have a fear of flying though so it's not an issue.

 

[JohnK]

I have had panic attacks for over 16 years now. The thought of flying sometimes triggers panic attacks and I take 1mg Xanax, sometimes 2mg Xanax, before each flight and most of the time it is sufficient to get me through the flight and I am totally relaxed. In the past I used to take 5mg-10mg Valium but this was slow to work.

I don't understand the medical condition this boy has but I would have thought a doctor administering adequate sedatives before the flight would be more than enough to get him on the flight on the way home. And if more sedatives were needed through the flight then the parents should be able to cope with this situation.

Mr Hill said the family had been advised to pay for a doctor to fly business class with Thomas and give him sedatives during the trip.

"The cost is enormous and we don't have the money," Mr Hill said.

"Our only glimmer of hope is that some airline will take pity on us and help."

Is a doctor really required to adminster sedatives? The sceptic in me says that nothing is wrong and someone is just trying to source a business class trip back to the UK out of pity. I hope I am wrong....

 

[straitman]

The Swine Flue virus is probably not helping his thought processes on travelling either :!:

 

[v8Statesman]

Is a doctor really required to adminster sedatives? The sceptic in me says that nothing is wrong and someone is just trying to source a business class trip back to the UK out of pity. I hope I am wrong....

If the news is true about them being $15k out of pocket for a failed boad ride. I think they have paid the Business fare . With the sales on now You could get 2 pax to LHR in J for $15K

 

[simongr]

I don't understand the medical condition this boy has but I would have thought a doctor administering adequate sedatives before the flight would be more than enough to get him on the flight on the way home. And if more sedatives were needed through the flight then the parents should be able to cope with this situation.

I dont think they could administer enough to dope him up for the entire flight - similar to the advice not to dope up dogs when flying them long haul as they wake up half way into teh journey in the dark and in a panic.

 

[oz_mark]

IIs a doctor really required to adminster sedatives? The sceptic in me says that nothing is wrong and someone is just trying to source a business class trip back to the UK out of pity. I hope I am wrong....

I have the same thoughts - wondering what powers business class has that economy doesn't. Surely you can administer sedatives equally in either cabin. If you were scared to travel, I don't see how being in business would magically overcome the fear.

 

[simongr]

I have the same thoughts - wondering what powers business class has that economy doesn't. Surely you can administer sedatives equally in either cabin. If you were scared to travel, I don't see how being in business would magically overcome the fear.

I do have a major fear of flying int'l whY...

 

[JohnK]

I have the same thoughts - wondering what powers business class has that economy doesn't. Surely you can administer sedatives equally in either cabin. If you were scared to travel, I don't see how being in business would magically overcome the fear.

Which is why I asked the question are they hoping someone will take pity on them. Something is just not quite right with the story reported.

Obviously I don't quite understand the medical condition but I have become very knowledgeable on panic attacks and medication. If the concern is enough medication cannot be given to cover the entire trip then sedatives (tablet form) could be administered by the parents throughout the flight.

 

[Dave Noble]

Given the whole story , it seems unlikely that they are just trying to get a freebie

Consider... They have already spent over $15,000 in vain to try and get him home by ship . Paying $15,000 is far more than the cost of a business class flight in itself

Dave

 

[samh004]

I don't understand the medical condition this boy has but I would have thought a doctor administering adequate sedatives before the flight would be more than enough to get him on the flight on the way home. And if more sedatives were needed through the flight then the parents should be able to cope with this situation.

Aspergers Syndrome is a form of autism. The term is given to people that have some traits of autism but don't have the full thing. If you think of autism as a spectrum of different issues, Aspergers Syndrome is at one end of that only.

Someone with AS generally doesn't like change and loves routine. They're not very good in social settings, and there's a whole load of other non-important stuff.

I'd say AS doesn't have a big role in his issue with flying. He's got some anxiety issues that may be more pronounced because he has AS, but it's not the primary reason he can't fly.

If he's having this many problems though he should probably be seeing a psychiatrist who can help him with his fear of flying and other strategies to control how AS controls him. The worlds leading doctor/researcher of AS lives in Brisbane. I realise he's in Sydney, but he can catch a bus for some help surely.

Is a doctor really required to adminster sedatives? The sceptic in me says that nothing is wrong and someone is just trying to source a business class trip back to the UK out of pity. I hope I am wrong....

Depends what kind of sedatives they are? Some might be too strong for the average person to carry round with them, though I'm sure if they got a doctors certificate and all they'd be fine.

I have the same thoughts - wondering what powers business class has that economy doesn't. Surely you can administer sedatives equally in either cabin. If you were scared to travel, I don't see how being in business would magically overcome the fear.

If you're doped up on sedatives, you're going to sleep equally well in either cabin, surely.

Edit: According to the Sun the doctor doesn't need to be travelling with them, but they need a business class seat because he apparently needs to lie down when under sedatives. Seems a little odd, maybe there's a medical reason such as swallowing your tongue (not possible) if you're sat upright.