Chai Sok doesn't recognize his wife by sight, but the Windsor man is responding to her voice.
"A few days ago, she kind of described him as a newborn baby unaware of any surroundings," said his daughter, Chanthorn Sok. "But just from yesterday, he was registering her voice. That just lets me know that he's able to understand language. He's able to respond appropriately. But, I need to know more."
The 67-year-old man was the victim of a hit-and-run accident involving a motorbike in Cambodia on April 2. At first, doctors told him his injuries were minor. Within days, his symptoms worsened.
Diagnosed with a brain hemorrhage, he underwent extensive surgeries at Bangkok Hospital Chanthaburi before his transfer to a hospital in Thailand. Over the past few weeks, his family has struggled to get information regarding his condition due to the time difference and language barriers.
"I'm unable to talk to the doctors. I'm only able to get a recording," said Sok. "They're also in a foreign country that speaks Thai, and my mother is Cambodian. We're not able to get a proper translator."
The long-term prognosis seems to change regularly, but the Sok family knows his recovery will be long and arduous.
The family immigrated to Canada in 1987 from a refugee camp in Thailand after fleeing Cambodia's Khmer Rouge government. Hardship is not new to the Sok family. However, Sok admitted not being by her father's side to advocate on his behalf is driving her crazy.
On Friday, she will fly to Thailand to support her mother, who has sat by her husband's side since the ordeal began.
Meanwhile, the medical bills are already mounting. A GoFundMe campaign launched a week ago raised just shy of $43,000, but so far, costs for his care are over $37,000. The hospital where he is currently recovering is a public facility and more affordable, but the Canadian consulate said it would not cover those expenses, and the family patriarch didn't have travel insurance.
Sok said estimates for the repatriation flight range from $80,000 to $400,000, depending on the care her father needs during the trip. The family is exploring other options, including through Cambodia's legal system.
Despite those difficulties, Sok is grateful for every monetary donation, everyone who has shared her family's story, and every prayer spoken in her father's name.
"I ask you to take a moment, to think of your loved ones, the ones you hold closest to your core, and think of the impact a situation such as this would have on your family," Sok wrote in a statement. "Though every day may not be promised, we encourage you to take full advantage of the time you have together, as you never know what tomorrow may bring."