A woman who sustained life-changing facial injuries after a horrific mystery incident said her first four harrowing words after surgery.
Former Seaworld worker Rebecca Ode was rushed to Ngoerah General Hospital in Denpasar at around 1AM on Tuesday (July 2).
According to News.com.au, the 36-year-old - from Newcastle, NSW - suffered broken bones in her face, head, and collarbone and lost an eye in the terrible ordeal.
The terrifying accident occurred on Monday (July 1) in Nusa Lembongan, an island off the southeast of Bali.
Rebecca's brother-in-law Jesse Wilton said that his sister, who had been on an extended break in the region, was found “in and out of consciousness” on the ground around 9PM and “in a very bad way”.
How she sustained those injuries had remained a mystery but a police report obtained by the ABC states she had driven a Yamaha scooter into a parked motorcycle in Jungutbatu Village.
However, "no one knows" exactly what happened to her, her brother revealed. “We have no idea how the injury happened… there was no alcohol… and the extent of her injuries is quite traumatic," he said.
The injured woman underwent a 14-hour surgery but has since regained consciousness on the Indonesian holiday island.
"She woke up and said, 'What happened to me?'" neurosurgeon specialist Professor Tjokorda Gde Bagus Mahadewa told Daily Mail.
Mahadewa explained that medics conducted "several things, such as a correction to her head bones," adding: "She had also suffered a leak in the brain.
"Then we did a correction on her face and nose because it's all broken," he continued. "An ophthalmologist was also involved to handle her right eye, while an orthopedic specialist performed surgery to her bones."
The neurosurgeon confirmed that an ophthalmologist revealed that Rebecca's eye "may not be saved," and said that she is suffering amnesia. "She can't remember the accident at all," he added.
Rebecca's worried family are trying to bring her home to Australia for specialist medical attention but a neurosurgeon has cautioned a flight could be risky for the injured woman due to the pooling of fluid near her brain.
Mahadewa explained that while she was now able to speak, her injuries were still delicate. “If the family wants to evacuate her right now, she would need to transported with an air ambulance, because there may be some fluid trapped inside the skull,” he told the ABC.
However, the woman's medical bills have piled up to $60,000 in just a few days. A flight in her current condition could cost up to $135,000.
Due to this, Wilton has set up a GoFundMe for his sister-in-law, and penned that she is a "strong and caring, daughter, aunty, and friend [who] urgently needs to be medically evacuated home from Bali for ongoing treatment".
The money raised will "get her out of Bali and get her into Aussie care,” Wilton said, adding: “We are estimating [to] be close to $250,000 just to get back to Australia.
"Bec’s family are by her side in Bali and while her recovery journey is unknown we know Bec will continue fighting her best fight with her strong will and determination," he concluded.
Our thoughts are with Rebecca's family and friends at this time.
.jpg_NXQDbN?tr=h-40)
.jpg_8pb35O?tr=h-40)
.jpg_NXQDbN?tr=h-184)
.jpg_8pb35O?tr=h-184)