UK charity appeals for private flight for critically ill baby in Hong Kong

Key facts

• Nine-month-old Matthew is critically ill in Hong Kong after influenza A and cardiac arrests.
• He suffered oxygen deprivation for an estimated 47 minutes.
• Commercial airlines have refused to transport him due to his ventilated condition.
• Lia's Wings charity is seeking a donated private jet for repatriation.
• The estimated cost for a private air ambulance is up to £200,000.

A British baby boy, nine-month-old Matthew, is critically ill in Hong Kong after contracting influenza A and suffering three cardiac arrests, leaving him unable to travel home commercially. His mother, Sophia Lee, has turned to the charity Lia's Wings for assistance in arranging a private air ambulance flight back to the UK for NHS treatment. The family's holiday turned into a nightmare when Matthew's health deteriorated rapidly, with his brain reportedly deprived of oxygen for 47 minutes. Commercial airlines have refused to transport the ventilated infant, making a private flight the only option, but the estimated cost of up to £200,000 is prohibitive for the family and the charity.