Toowoomba student on exchange in Taiwan is fighting for life after eating food laced with rat poison

An Australian exchange student is fighting for his life after he accidently ingested rat poison – as his doctor dad rushed to his bedside overseas to keep vigil. 

What started as a nose bleed turned into a horrific cardiorespiratory collapse for student Alex Shorey while in Taipei, Taiwan last Monday, landing him in ICU.

The Toowoomba student’s family believe the 24-year-old was poisoned after he ate street food or something else he consumed while visiting the countryside recently. 

The marketing and language student started feeling ill last month while on his dream scholarship exchange trip where he studies at the Tamkang University in Taiwan.

His brother Jean-Luc Shorey said Alex’s symptoms, which grew worse on his birthday earlier this month, were ‘very strange’.  

Alex Shorey (pictured) started feeling ill four weeks ago while on his dream scholarship exchange trip where he studies at the Tamkang University in Taiwan

Jean-Luc said Alex (pictured in hospital) had been misdiagnosed in Taiwan with an immune disorder

‘It’s started out as a nose bleed and blood in his urine so we weren’t really sure what is was at first,’ Jean-Luc told the Courier Mail.

He added their dad Stephen Shorey, who is a doctor in Toowoomba, flew to Taiwan as soon as Alex’s condition started to get worse. 

Jean-Luc said Alex had been misdiagnosed in Taiwan with an immune disorder.

‘The longer it took to diagnose, he was getting his kidney, liver, lungs, and heart damaged,’ Jean-Luc said.

‘Because the blood had perforated his muscles he started getting black spots all over his body as the blood seeped into his muscles.’

Once his dad arrived in Taipei he urged doctors to do more rigorous blood and plasma tests. 

Jean-Luc said he hated to think what would have happened if his father had not flown to his brother’s bedside. 

Elizabeth Shorey-Kitson who is Alex’s aunty started a GoFundMe page to try and repatriate the young man back to Australia. 

She said Alex’s condition has grown worse and he needs to be flown to the Royal Prince Albert Hospital in Sydney via a specialised medical flight retrieval service.

Alex is not able to take a commercial flight back home due to an anaphylactic reaction that has caused fluid to build up on his lungs. 

Ms Shorey-Kitson said Alex is at the Taipei Medical University Hospital after having another bad reaction to his treatment. 

‘The effects of the poison, Super Warfarin, are catastrophic,’ she said. 

‘Super Warfarin stops the blood from coagulating, and so Alex’s body is haemorrhaging both externally and internally into his muscles and organs.’ 

The Toowoomba student’s family believe the 24-year-old was poisoned after he ate street food or something else he consumed while visiting the countryside in Taiwan recently

The family has so far raised  $125,240 by Friday after the GoFundMe page was launched two days ago (pictured, left to right, Jean-Luc, Alex, the boys’ grandmother and their mum)

‘It’s imperative we get [Alex] (pictured, right) home to prevent any further damage to his organs and to give him the best chance of recovery,’ Alex’s aunty Elizabeth Shorey-Kitson said

She added the delay in diagnosis, the language barriers in Taiwan and his severe reactions from treatments has led to more complications – including ‘organ damage, respiratory failure and anaemia’.

After his cardiorespiratory collapse last Monday, Alex is not expected to recover quickly. 

‘The medical services in Taiwan don’t currently have the right treatments or drugs to stabilise his condition,’ Ms Shorey-Kitson said.

‘So it’s imperative we get him home to prevent any further damage to his organs and to give him the best chance of recovery.’

The family has so far raised $129,680 by Friday after the GoFundMe page was launched two days ago. 

They hope to hit their goal of $172,000 which will pay for the intensive medical team, flights and ongoing medical and rehabilitation in Australia.