Dad refuses to call an ambulance for his 25-year-old son, whose spleen ruptured, because he was at work and ambulances are expensive: 'He looked at me and asked if I could drive myself.'

Author image for Emmy Pratt
Emmy Pratt • Writer and Editor
Dec 8, 2025 8:00 AM EST

If someone is begging you to call an ambulance, that's precisely what you should do.

I'm sure a lot of us have been in a situation where we knew someone needed to go to the Emergency Room, but they were extremely hesitant because they didn't think their ailment was that serious. It's stressful to know someone needs urgent medical attention, but they're too afraid to call an ambulance because they don't want to pay for it, or they're in denial about what will happen if they don't seek medical attention. 

It's much rarer to find yourself in a situation where someone is begging you to call an ambulance, and you're unwilling to do it. Most of us think that in an emergency, even with a stranger on the street, we would spring into action if someone is sick or injured enough to ask for an ambulance. Even if the person is ultimately fine and didn't need that level of medical intervention, it is almost always better to be safe than sorry. I'd doubt there are a lot of people who say, "I really regret calling an ambulance for a man begging me to call an ambulance." 

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  • Young man holding his stomach in pain man with reflux disease holding his belly with painful expression
    via Getty Images (Unsplash+)

    Image is representative only and does not depict the actual subjects of the story.

  • The dad in this story took 20 minutes to call an ambulance for his son, who was begging and pleading with him to do so. His son was so sick that he couldn't even walk and had to drag himself across the floor to his dad's office to beg him for medical attention. His dad wasn't convinced until he passed out.

  • My dad didn’t take my medical emergency seriously

    I (25M) have been really sick for a couple weeks, and have been in pretty bad shape. One morning, I was showering and suddenly lost all of my vision as soon as the water hit my face. I remember still being conscious, but completely disoriented. I knew I was standing
    via u/Electrical-Ideal-791
  • in the shower and remember what direction I was facing, but no matter how much I tried to use my hands to feel my way. around, I didn't truly KNOW where everything was and that was an incredibly scary experience.
    via u/Electrical-Ideal-791
  • My vision came back a minute later, but my body felt incredibly weak. I turned off the shower, threw on my clothes, and crawled into my dad's office completely wet. The most I could physically do was whisper to him and tell him that I need him to call 911 for an ambulance. He looked at me
    via u/Electrical-Ideal-791
  • An ambulance driving down a street next to tall buildings
    via Lalithmalhaar Gudi

    Image is representative only and does not depict the actual subjects of the story.

  • and asked if I could drive myself because he's in the middle of work and ambulance rides are expensive. I barely had enough energy to say "no, I need an ambulance," but not enough energy to explain to him what just happened. He then asked if I could ask my stepmom to drive me instead, insisting that we can't afford an ambulance, but at that time I was out of energy and was
    via u/Electrical-Ideal-791
  • beginning to lose my vision. again. This whole exchange probably took about 20 minutes. 20 critical minutes of him watching me gasp for air to answer his suggestions of driving myself and asking someone else to drive me.
    via u/Electrical-Ideal-791
  • A man with a beard and a white shirt
    via Leandro Crespi (Unsplash+)

    Image is representative only and does not depict the actual subjects of the story.

  • The next thing I knew, I woke up in a hospital bed. My dad told me I passed out and he finally called an ambulance when he realized I was running out of time. Turns out, I had mono the whole time and my spleen ruptured, which caused me to lose vision in the shower and pass out later. Very life-threatening situation if you ask me.
    via u/Electrical-Ideal-791
  • So here I am now, just released from the hospital after a successful surgery and a big hospital bill tied to my name. I'm very angry with my dad for not only his lack of urgency in that moment, but also because he made it clear that day that he prioritizes work and money over his own son. He ignored me
    via u/Electrical-Ideal-791
  • bleeding internally on the floor and begging for an ambulance so he could finish his stupid project on his computer, and showed so much hesitation in calling that ambulance because he was thinking about how he could save money in that situation.
    via u/Electrical-Ideal-791
  • At the end of the day, he still did call the ambulance but I'm still so angry about how he handled the situation. I wish he would apologize to me for it, but I don't think I'll ever get one in this life because he probably believes that he saved my ass. Am I acting
    via u/Electrical-Ideal-791
  • entitled here? Should I be grateful that he called the ambulance in the end despite being so reluctant? I'm glad that I'm still here, but something about the way everything happened just feels... wrong.
    via u/Electrical-Ideal-791
  • EDIT: for context about the financial situation. Yes, I'm working full time. And yes, I'm contributing financially with food & rent while my dad agreed to cover health insurance, water, and electricity. Hope this info helps
    via u/Electrical-Ideal-791
  • Only-Readit Apology for what exactly? Like ya he was an ass but how was he to know it was an emergency. If you had enough energy to put clothes on after the shower and crawl on the floor to him to his office, you could have easily called the ambulance too. Both of you suck.
    via u/Only-Readit
  • OP Electrical-Ideal-791 You don't know what it's like to lose your vision and have the thought of "is this it for me?" And you don't know how hard it was to even breathe in that moment. And I hope you will never know because that memory will haunt me for the rest of my life
    via u/Electrical-Ideal-791
  • bowlofweetabix NTA This was a true emergency and your dad didn't put you first
    via u/bowlofweetabix
  • AltruisticSecond_ Honestly my parents sound like your dad. When I was in high school I was hemorrhaging in my throat from tonsillectomy. My dad made me drive my car back to the house and then by the time we got to the hospital I was puking blood and passed out. Now fast forward I'm 35. I had to get an MRI yesterday to find out my parents knew I was really sick as a baby and never followed up. My mom's response, I've apologized in the past. It's impacted my ability to work and she shames me for n
    via u/AltruisticSecond_
  • camkats Nta but why is your dad worried about the bill? You are not a minor - it's your bill not his.
    via u/camkats
  • NTA. iDontGetCute92 You may be an adult, but your parent is still your parent no matter your age, and in your moment of genuine need, he failed you. You shouldn't feel "grateful" for your dad helping his child, a parent helping their child is the literally bare minimum.
    via u/iDontGetCute92
  • holdon_painends I had something very similar to this happen to me and my grandmother absolutely refused to call 911 and forced me into the car so she could drive me just to yell at me when she wanted directions and I literally didn't know where I even was. My insurance covers ambulance rides and you can rack up as many rides as you want for free. My grandpa drove himself to the hospital while suffering through a heart attack because an ambulance would cost too much. That is some actual dystopian
    via u/holdon_painends
  • This WeekInTheRegency You're not acting entitled. You have every right to be angry. He betrayed you. Time to get out of that house and live away from him, because every time you see him, you'll be angry, and that's not a healthy way to live. NTA.
    via u/ThisWeekInTheRegency

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living at home hospital work shower passing out bad parents dad ambulance family expensive sick reddit thread adult children money son health insurance
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