World Politics3 min(s) read
Influencer is left fighting for her life after catching 'terrifying' brain infection on vacation
An Australian influencer has been left in a life-threatening condition after developing a potentially lethal brain infection while traveling in Bali.
Content creator Khiana Smith, who has built her reputation as a fitness influencer based on the Gold Coast, has contracted a rare form of meningitis, with both the viral and bacterial forms leaving her bedridden in intensive care for over a week.
Influencer left fighting for her life after meningitis diagnosis
After traveling Europe for two weeks, Smith headed to Bali, where she fell severely ill, revealing the traumatic story while she continues her recovery on the Southeast Asian island.
Discussing her condition with news.com.au, Smith revealed her surprise while being left fighting for her life during a trip of a lifetime.
“I don’t know what happened, like I seriously don’t, I just woke up one day and I just had the worst headache, like I couldn’t even get out of bed,” she explained to the Australian news outlet.
While the disease can be spread through food, water, and air, medical professionals and Smith herself were left puzzled at the diagnosis.
Content creator discusses condition from hospital
According to Smith, she experienced “extreme head pains, dizziness, slurred speech, slurred vision, and a severe sensitivity to light.”
Bacterial meningitis is considered the more fatal of the two forms of the disease, with its onset both rapid and severe, as it attacks the membranes protecting the brain and spinal cord, and can lead to death if not caught and treated immediately.
Smith revealed how she was rushed to hospital after initially getting an IV drip at her villa in an attempt to make herself feel better, with her mother called out in a family emergency.
Cass Smith, Khiana’s mother, told news.com.au: “There is nothing more terrifying than knowing your child is fighting for her life in a foreign country and you’re thousands of kilometers away, unable to hold her hand.”
Cass thanked the Indonesian medical staff, whose efforts she praised as “having probably saved her life.”
“I have lost a lot of memory, like I really struggle to remember things,” Smith shared.
She added: “I feel absolutely helpless and I just wanna go home. Life is so precious, one minute I’m healthy traveling the world, living my dream life and the next I’m bed bound in ICU in Bali with a brain infection that could [have] killed me,” she warned.
“Don’t take your life or health for granted ever.”
Well-wishers took to Smith’s Instagram page, with hundreds of comments pouring in on the content creator’s post.
“Sending you a big hug from Australia I hope you get home soon,” one person shared, while another added: “You are so strong, sending you all the love and healing.”