Bill Shea is a 100 year old WWII vet who lives in Essex Canada which is actually a little south of Detroit. He needed treatment for a bladder infection, pneumonia, and kidney issues. The Canadian VA said he needed to be sent over 1000 miles away to their hospital in British Columbia. But after the treatment his request to come home was denied.
His family said they couldn’t afford the nearly $60-thousand medical flight needed to bring him back home. Their requests to Global Affairs Canada for assistance were also denied.
CTV News reports that the family was in a bad spot. Harrow Legion Branch 338 was able to raise only a few thousand dollars. The government took the position that at Bill's age he would probably need more treatment and so he should stay close to the hospital. His family and friends were beside themselves at the idea Bill would nd up dying alone on the other side of the country.
After their story made the news an anonymous donor reached out and covered the rest of the cost. His daughter Maureen says the former tail gunner has just taken his last flight, even if the VA says he must return to the BC hospital. “I don’t think I’ll let him. That’s it. He’s done. This will be his last flight. It's more important for him to be with his family and friends". As for the government "I’m going to keep fighting. I would like to return the funds to that donor. What the Canadian authorities are doing to Vets like my dad and their families in unconscionable
Photo: Win McNamee / Getty Images News / Getty Images