Colorado Dad Fights for Life After Illness on Wedding Anniversary Cruise

An American family is fighting to get their father home from Denmark after he fell dangerously ill with a deadly super virus on a cruise ship .

Guy Matlock, 64, left the U.S. for the first time ever to embark on a once-in-a-lifetime 14-day northern European cruise on September 14 to celebrate his 37th wedding anniversary with his wife, Adrian Matlock.

On their sixth day on board, Guy and a friend started to feel unwell with what they assumed was a common cold. Within in 24 hours his condition deteriorated, and his friend, George, urged him to go to the infirmary.

His daughter, Moriah Matlock, 26, from Englewood, south of downtown Denver, told Newsweek: "They ran some tests and immediately told him he was going to be in critical condition soon.

The family, who have medical insurance, are trying to raise the funds for a medical evacuation flight to get Guy back home to his loved ones, including his other children: Payne Matlock, 31, Cassie Naasz Matlock, 42, and Crystal Matlock, 40.

Medical evacuations, more commonly known as MedEvacs, are used to transport ill people back to their home countries.

Guy and Adrian Matlock. The couple embarked on a 14-day cruise of a lifetime to celebrate their 37th wedding anniversary. Moriah Matlock/Moriah Matlock

"They didn't even let my parents pack their bags—they sent him straight to the hospital in Copenhagen, Denmark. Once there, they found out he had gone into cardiac arrest.

"He was diagnosed with flu A, pneumonia, and sepsis. It's wreaked havoc on his major organs—causing heart failure, kidney failure, lung failure, and it's even affecting his brain. He's been on a respirator ever since.

"It was so scary. At one point, they didn't know if he was going to make it."

The infection has also caused minor strokes in his parietal lobes, which has led to brain damage.

Upon hearing the news of his condition, the family tried to fly the 4,900 miles to see their dad. They had never left the U.S. before, so they had to rush to get passports made so they could see their father.

Guy in hospital alongside Adrian. The dad-of-four remains hospitalized in Copenhagen and on a ventilator. Moriah Matlock/Moriah Matlock

Describing the journey, Moriah said: "We were in total shock. I cried the entire time. We got there in a total daze, none of us had thought to get an international phone plan to be able to direct ourselves to the hospital, and no signs were in English."

Moriah and her brother Payne spent eight days overseas and have since returned home.

Medics call the condition a super virus. "It's one of those freak things that rarely happens, but it's devastating.

"My dad has been in the infectious disease unit, and we had to wear full PPE to see him until just recently. It was only on the second to last day that we were finally able to hold his hand without gloves on.

"He's made some progress, though. He's off sedation, and while he can't speak, we've seen him wiggle his toes. The doctors have started physical therapy with him, and he's even held his head for about 30 seconds. That was a huge milestone for us. It's going to be a long road, but we're hopeful," Moriah added.

For Adrian, the experience has been extremely isolating, and she has struggled with the language barrier and feeling disconnected from her family, friends, and home comforts.

"She's trying to stay strong, but it's scary not knowing the language and being surrounded by foreign norms, confined to hospital walls," Moriah explained.

Guy Matlock in hospital. The dad is showing some hopeful signs of improvement and he has started some physical therapy. Moriah Matlock/Moriah Matlock

The family feels blessed for the extremely high standard of care Guy has received, but for his brain to recover, familiarity is key.

"He needs familiar things from home—sounds, language, things that trigger cognitive recognition," Moriah said.

The devoted daughter said her dad has spent his whole life in Englewood, works as an appliance technician and has been healthy and sober his whole life.

"My dad is more than just a father to us—he's been a father figure to so many others. We have a big extended family, including many friends who have lived with us over the years," she said.

They are hopeful they will soon reach their $150,000 target to get Guy back home.

"We actually purchased travel insurance, but the biggest misconception is that it covers everything. It doesn't. It only covers a small portion, and they'll only reimburse us later. We're not sure exactly where insurance will take us—whoever will take the cheapest amount—and my mom is handling that part.

"It's been so wild and difficult, but we're incredibly grateful. We've received more donations than we ever imagined. In just a week, we raised over $100,000 from nearly 2,000 donations, and we've now surpassed that amount. We're hopeful this fundraiser will get us what we need to bring him home."