'˜Help me bring my dad back home' says daughter

Amanda Lambert needs more than £4,500 to help repatriate her dad Daniel after he passed away recently in a Thailand hospital.

The 65-year-old, who had lived in Ferrybridge, had been on a three-month stay in the Mueang Chaiyaphum District, northeast of Bangkok, when he fell ill.

He had no travel insurance, but spent 13 days in hospital, four of which he was unconscious and connected to a life-support machine.

He died on October 8 and his body remains in the hospital’s mortuary.

Worried Amanda knew he had been suffering with breathing problems, but has learnt little else about what caused the problems or the reason behind his death.

“I’m struggling to find out any details, that’s why I need to bring him home so we can have post-mortem,” said the 37-year-old, who lives in Leeds.

“The embassy or the hospital are not filling me in on anything. I don’t even know if he was ill before then.

“I just got a message that he was not well and was having trouble breathing.

“He had a lung removed in 2006 from lung cancer, but I just don’t know what’s happened here.

“I had some contact with him when he was conscious with video calls, he couldn’t talk but was writing notes and showing me them.

“On the day he died I managed to get an interpreter and I got the phone call.

“I was devastated, my whole world fell apart.

“They will not let me take him home until I pay the £2,000 to the hospital, then I have to pay an extra £2,500 to bring his body home.”

Mr Lambert had lived on Houghton Avenue for more than 24 years and had run three businesses in the area, including a second-hand furniture shop on Ashleigh Avenue.

He had also been a regular in the Golden Lion in Knottingley.

After splitting from his wife in 2006, he lived in Wrenthorpe before eventually moving to Leeds.

He met a new partner in Thailand and spent three months of the year there with her.

Amanda said: “He was well known and had some really nice messages from people, but I need to raise this money.

“He was always happy and would stop to help anyone if they needed it.

“I feel like part of my identity has gone, he was always there for me, I just want to get him back.

“I can’t afford to bring him home and I can’t afford to get him cremated in Thailand.”

Amanda has been in contact with the office of Leeds Central MP Hilary Benn, who contacted the Foreign Office on her behalf.

However, the Foreign Office has also told her it is unable to offer financial assistance and suggests that she approach charities or set up an appeal.

She has now launched a crowdfunding appeal on justgiving.com to raise £2,000 for the hospital bills.

To donate, visit www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/daniel-lambert2