A U.K. family hit with a huge hospital bill after their father fell ill on a trip to Calgary is warning others about the dangers of not having travel medical insurance.

A Lake Country woman said she went into shock immediately after she was in a severe accident in Indonesia, but it was the pain that followed while she was waiting for insurance coverage to kick in so she could be treated that was most agonizing.

Travelling abroad and ending up in a foreign hospital can be financially devastating. Even in tragic events like the mass shooting in Las Vegas, medical assistance comes at a cost.