Deportation fear 'cost man life'

BBC News (Feb 21, 2008)

The father of a County Derry man who died in the US said he believes he delayed medical treatment because he feared being deported.

John Thompson, 34, from Garvagh, lived and worked in Minnesota for seven years but never had a green card.

He had been ill for nearly a week but put off going to hospital until 22 December. He died there as his parents were on their way to see him.

His father, also called John, believes the delay cost his son his life.

"He'd taken ill on Monday night or Tuesday morning, the 18th of December," Mr Thompson said.

"He thought it was a stomach bug he had. He kept saying 'I'll be all right tomorrow, I'll be all right tomorrow'.

"By Friday he had sort of come round, but on Friday night he took very bad and by the time they got him to hospital on Saturday he was so dehydrated, his blood pressure dropped, his organs all began to fail and his heart stopped and he died."

Mr Thompson said he believes John was scared to go to hospital because he was working in the US illegally and did not have a social security number.

"I know that's the reason why he didn't go to hospital," he said.

Mr Thompson and his wife endured a 20-hour journey to get to St Paul in Minnesota on Christmas Eve after finding out at Duiblin Airport that John had died.

They spent Christmas Day in a hotel room in Minnesota organising to bring the body home.

He said he did not blame Americans in any way for what happened but said parents with children working illegally in the US should be aware of what happened to his son.

"Let your children know if they are sick, go to the hospital, go to the doctor," he said.