THE mother of a man in a coma in Thailand is facing a £30,000 bill to fly him home.

Ryan Marven, 30, was travelling on a mini bus in Koh Samui when the driver lost control and it overturned.

The former soldier, who had been living in the country for a year, suffered a fractured skull and slipped into a coma.

Ryan, who grew up in Stanford-le-Hope, has not woken up since, even though doctors have operated on him to remove a bone fragment from his brain.

Insurance provided through Mr Marven’s employment has paid out around £5,000, but all of this has been spent on paying his medical bills.

Ryan’s family and friends have so far raised £12,000 through various charity events, towards the £30,000 cost of flying him home.

Mum, Karen Hatch, 51, has had to borrow the rest of the money needed.

She is hoping to get the go-ahead to fly Ryan home imminently.

Karen, of Monks Haven, Stanford-le-Hope, said: “Ryan has been in a coma for around 12 weeks.

“It has been awful, but the Thai hospital he is in is taking good care of him. I went out to see him for the first three weeks, and his dad went for the next two.

“His fiancee’s family have also been out there, but then we had to save all the money we could to fly him home.

“We know he will be flying back soon, but soon isn’t quick enough.”

Karen said there was a backlog of flights out of Bangkok because of the recent floods, and this was holding up Ryan’s flight.

He will be flying on a commercial flight, but his parents must buy eight seats so there is room for his stretcher, as well as paying for a medical team of two from Queen’s Hospital, Romford, to fly out there and back.

The next fundraising event is a Christmas ladies’ pamper night, which will be held at the Cat Cracker Pub, in The Sorrells, Stanford-le-Hope, on Thursday, December 8.

There will be stalls offering various beauty treatments and selling gifts from 5pm until 10pm.

Entry to the evening is £1.

For more information about the family’s fundraising appeal, go to www.supportryanmarven.piczo.com