Chilliwack man trying to get home after suffering stroke in Winnipeg

Matt Husul, 46, has been hospitalized in Winnipeg, provinces away from his home in Chilliwack, B.C., after suffering a stroke while on a road trip to Ontario. Due to his medical condition, he's unfit to return home, but without travel insurance, the hospital costs could be tremendous.

Matt Husul and his wife were travelling from their home in Chilliwack, B.C., to Ontario for a fishing trip when his family realized something was wrong.

“They got to Kenora and Matt wasn't speaking well,” said brother Aaron Husul.

He says that’s when the family decided to rush to the nearest hospital in Winnipeg, where they learned the shocking news---Matt Husul had suffered a stroke.

"He currently has two small blood clots on his brain and one stuck in an artery,” his brother explained. “That's the reason why he can't fly and needs to remain in Winnipeg.”

It’s also the reason he’s asking for help in getting his brother back to his home to Chilliwack.

The 46-year-old didn’t purchase travel insurance for the trip, leaving the family with little options to return home.

Husul could spend two weeks to three months in the hospital, provinces away from his hometown.

According to the B.C. government’s website, if you require a prescription or ambulance service while you are in another province or outside Canada, you will be charged the full cost for any medical service.

“Fees can often range from several hundred to several thousand dollars and your costs will not be reimbursed by the Ministry of Health,” reads the website.

The brain clots in Husul’s brain prevent the family from arranging ground transportation.

"One of their main issues with driving is the altitude going through the mountains,” his brother said.

Instead, they’ve been told to look in to a MedEvac air transfer, which the family was told could cost tens of thousands of dollars.

B.C.’s health minister was asked about subsidiaries for extreme situations like Husul’s and said he would look in to their situation.

“I'm happy to take a look at the case for them as well if the information is provided and see if there's something we can do to support this family,” Adrian Dix said Sunday.

The family’s situation is an unfortunate reminder of the importance of travel insurance—even for Canadians traveling within their own country.

“B.C. residents are strongly advised to purchase additional health insurance when travelling to other Canadian provinces/territories to cover the cost of services not included in the reciprocal agreement between the provinces/territories,” reads the B.C. website.

CTV News has reached out to MedEvac to ask for the exact dollar figure to transfer between Winnipeg and Chilliwack. This story will be updated if a response is received.