B.C. family stranded in Latvia since the start of the pandemic hopes to bring infant son home for medical treatment
When Alexander Krstovic posted the online fundraiser to cover the cost of flying his infant son with complex medical needs from Latvia to Vancouver, he wasn't expecting much.
He asked friends and family to spread the GoFundMe campaign far and wide, and his wife did the same, but it seemed like a long shot that they'd be able to raise the $140,000 necessary for an air ambulance flight across the Atlantic Ocean.
After a day, the fundraiser had brought in just $100, and Krstovic felt like his fears were confirmed. No one was donating.
The next day, however, more money had come in, and soon - miraculously - the fundraiser had surged more than three-quarters of the way to its lofty $200,000 goal.
"We hit $160,000 Canadian in less than a week, and we still don't know who spread it," Krstovic told CTV News Vancouver via Zoom from Riga, Latvia's capital.
As of Saturday, the GoFundMe's total stood at a little more than $170,000.
"Most of the donations came from Latvia," Krstovic said. "I'm very grateful to the people of Latvia. They've been super awesome, giving to a complete stranger."
Donations have also come in from Canada, as well as other countries in Europe, Asia and Africa, Krstovic said.
"We just don't know who these people are," he said. "They just went out of their way to help a complete stranger. It's amazing. I'm speechless."
The money raised so far is enough to cover the flight, and the Krstovic family has been working with the Canadian embassy in Riga to get the necessary paperwork together to transfer their son to BC Children's Hospital.
Krstovic said he's hoping that the transfer will happen in the coming week, but it will depend on the paperwork, which he said is immensely complex.
"It is really crazy when you want to transfer a patient from one country to another," he said.
Perhaps ironically, it was money that led the Krstovic family to Latvia in the first place. The couple relocated to Riga from Vancouver in December 2019 because the cost of IVF treatment in the Eastern European country was significantly lower.
The couple was still in Latvia when the COVID-19 pandemic began, and Krstovic said his wife became pregnant during the country's initial lockdown.
He said the couple wanted to fly back to Vancouver during the pregnancy, but decided to stay in Latvia after consulting with doctors there about the risks involved in their specific case.
Their son, Rayan Sebastian Krstovic, was born prematurely in Riga, with severe heart and stomach problems that doctors didn't expect him to survive.
The infant has had several surgeries and has never left the hospital.
Krstovic said part of the problem is that the Latvian hospital is not well-equipped to handle such a complex case.
"For them, this kind of case is not very common," he said. "Whenever they treat something, another thing breaks down."
The hope is that BC Children's Hospital will be in a better position to help Krstovic's son survive, but the child has to get here first.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING NDP motion regarding Palestinian statehood passes after major Liberal alterations
A motion from the federal New Democrats initially calling on Canada to recognize the 'State of Palestine' passed amid widespread acrimony on Monday, after the Liberals drastically altered its wording to see the government simply work towards that aim as part of a two-state solution.
'He didn't want to die': Family of Calgary man killed in standoff speaks out
Family of a Calgary man killed after a 30-hour standoff with police last week are speaking out, sharing details of the tense and heart-wrenching experience.
Toronto family doctor who called patient's body 'perfect' suspended for 3 months: tribunal
A family doctor in Toronto has been suspended for three months after a disciplinary tribunal found that he failed to follow proper protocols while examining a patient's breasts and made inappropriate comments about her body.
Ohio mom who left toddler alone 10 days when she went on vacation pleads guilty to aggravated murder
An Ohio mother whose 16-month-old daughter died after being left home alone in a playpen for 10 days last summer while she went on vacation was sentenced Monday to life in prison with no chance of parole.
Retired teacher pleads guilty to paying for sex with 15-year-old in Collingwood, Ont.
In a Barrie courtroom on Monday, a retired high school teacher from the Niagara Region pleaded guilty to sexual touching and obtaining sexual services from a 15-year-old boy in Collingwood in 2021.
Hertz CEO out following electric car 'horror show'
The company, which announced in January it was selling 20,000 of the electric vehicles in its fleet, or about a third of the EVs it owned, is now replacing the CEO who helped build up that fleet, giving it the company’s fifth boss in just four years.
5 charged in Calgary kidnappings that targeted women
Calgary police have charged five men in a pair of kidnappings last year that targeted innocent victims.
Demand soars for solar eclipse glasses in Canada. Are they worth buying?
The demand for total solar eclipse glasses used to safely view the rare celestial event has been ramping up as sellers, along with astronomy and eye-care experts in Canada, warn that viewing the eclipse with the naked eye is dangerous.
Canadian commander of volunteer fighter group dies in Ukraine
A Canadian-born commander of the so-called Norman Brigade, a volunteer fighting group in Ukraine, has died.