A Swift Current man who was hospitalized after being bitten by a rattlesnake in Texas has been flown back Saskatchewan, with the help of money donated by ICU staff caring for him.
Stephanie Fehr and her family have been tirelessly working to get her husband, Daniel, back to Canada after he bitten by a rattlesnake while golfing in Odessa, Texas.
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“It’s funny because they think Canadians are polite,” she said through tears. “I think they need to go down to Texas because those nurses were beautiful.”
The family has been at Daniel’s bedside at the Odessa ICU since the end of July, when he went into anaphalactic shock and cardiac arrest after the rattlesnake encounter.

Stephanie and Daniel’s daughter holds her dad’s hand while he lays in the Odessa ICU. (Kristie Klimm/ Submitted)
Daniel didn’t have medical insurance, and his family is paying for his hospital stay.
Stephanie said the largest obstacle to getting her husband home was that he required an onboard ICU team for the flight. He remains in a coma.
The cost to transport Daniel back to Swift Current was $59,000. The nursing staff contributed over $23,000 to help the Fehrs cover the cost.
“A beautiful, beautiful staff on the ICU came together,” Stephanie said. “They came up big, and came up with what we couldn’t so that we could bring him home.”
On Friday, Daniel landed in the Queen City and was transferred to Regina General Hospital, until he can be transferred to Swift Current.
“If I have to drive two hours every day to be with him, that’s way better than 24 hours away,” Stephanie said. “We’re gonna have to make things work until we can get them closer.”
Stephanie and her kids drove down south when Daniel was first hurt by the snake and have remained in Texas until travelling home to meet him in the province.

According to his family, Danny Fehr loves spending time on the golf course to relieve stress while working away from home and his loved ones. (Stephanie Fehr/Facebook)
“Tensions were getting pretty high in Texas already, the kids were getting frustrated,” she said. “They didn’t want to be there anymore. They didn’t want their dad there. We just wanted to all come home.”
Stephanie said she has not yet received a bill for Daniel’s stay in the ICU, but has received an almost $5,000 ambulance bill.
“Our first hurdle is over, and that was a big one,” she said. “I didn’t think we’re ever gonna raise the funds or even come up with enough money to bring him home.
“I was hopeless, I (didn’t) know where I’m gonna get this money from. “I can’t believe how many people have stepped up to help help us.”
A GoFundMe page set up to help pay for the family’s medical bills has surpassed $46,000.
Stephanie said she and her family remain hopeful Daniel will wake up from his coma.

Stephanie said the ICU staff who helped her husband are like family, and she’s forever grateful to them for helping cover the cost of his flight home. (Stephanie Fehr/ Facebook)
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