The 17-year-old underwent two emergency operations as her family works to bring her home to the United States.
AMARILLO, Texas — A 17-year-old Texas high school graduate remains hospitalized in Thailand after collapsing, losing consciousness and suffering seizures during a graduation trip, leading doctors to diagnose a severe brain hemorrhage that required two emergency operations.
Thalia Keopraseuth had recently graduated from Tascosa High School in Amarillo and was visiting Thailand with relatives when she collapsed June 29. Her family rushed her to an emergency room, where a CT scan showed bleeding in her brain. The medical crisis has left her family waiting for her condition to improve enough for her to travel back to the United States.
Doctors first performed emergency surgery and placed a drain to reduce swelling and pressure in Thalia’s brain, according to her family. She later underwent a second operation in which surgeons removed part of her skull to ease pressure on her brain stem. Her family said the swelling had started to improve and that she was opening and closing her eyes more consistently.
Thalia’s father, Andy Keopraseuth, said the family was monitoring her condition one day at a time while doctors determined when she could safely travel. The family said physicians warned that she might need to remain in Thailand for as long as a month before she was stable enough to take a commercial flight.
“We’re just taking it day by day, making sure she’s still stable, just counting down the days to where we’re able to take her home,” Keopraseuth said. He added that the family had limited options while Thalia continued receiving hospital care abroad.
A faster return would require a private medical aircraft equipped to transport a patient with a serious neurological injury. The family said such a flight could cost hundreds of thousands of dollars, placing it beyond their immediate means. Waiting for medical clearance for regular travel would be less expensive but could keep Thalia overseas for several more weeks.
The family also faces mounting hospital bills. Relatives said seven days of treatment in Thailand had already cost more than $30,000. The hospital offered percentage-based discounts, but the family remained responsible for significant medical and travel expenses as Thalia continued receiving intensive care.
The U.S. Embassy in Thailand responded to the family and provided a small emergency loan, according to the family’s account. The amount did not cover the costs already incurred. Relatives also established an online fundraiser to help pay for Thalia’s treatment and her eventual transportation home.
Thalia’s trip marked both her high school graduation and her birthday, according to local reporting. She had planned to begin a career in health care and hoped to become a nurse. Her medical emergency occurred weeks after she completed high school in May.
The family has not publicly identified an underlying condition or event that caused the hemorrhage. No additional medical diagnosis beyond the severe brain bleeding and swelling had been released. Her relatives have focused their public updates on her treatment, signs of improvement and the challenge of arranging her return to Texas.
Thalia remained hospitalized in Thailand as of the latest family update. Her relatives were waiting for doctors to determine whether she could travel safely while continuing to explore options for medical transportation to the United States.
Author note: Last updated July 17, 2026.