Fit and healthy Aussie left fighting for life after trip to Bali turns into holiday from hell – and the staggering bill to bring him home
A young Australian man is left fighting for his life after his holiday in Bali turned into a nightmare, with his family spending more than $100,000 to bring him home.
Tristan Xavier, from Perth, was on holiday with his family when he suddenly suffered seizures and was rushed to hospital.
But local medics could find no cause or way to treat him and his condition worsened every day as his parents Sharyn and Jeff sat at his hospital bedside.
Doctors intubated him and put him on life support as he slipped in and out of consciousness, while his desperate family arranged to bring him back to Australia.
He finally landed in Perth in the early hours of Wednesday and was immediately taken to an intensive care unit, where he is now receiving 24-hour care.
Young Australian Tristan Xavier has been flown out of Bali after suddenly suffering unexplained seizures and fighting for his life for nine days in an Indonesian hospital
Tristan Xavier, from Perth, Western Australia, is pictured at Tegenungan Waterfall while on holiday with his family on the tropical paradise island of Bali before suddenly falling ill
Tristan Xavier, whose sister Latisha is a model at a Sydney agency (pictured with her brother), fought for his life in an Indonesian hospital for nine days
“It’s a huge relief,” his seamstress mother Sharyn Xavier told Daily Mail Australia from Bali on Wednesday.
‘We had a great time. He didn’t have an accident or anything like that; he just started having seizures and the hospital in Bali didn’t know how to stop them.
‘We don’t know what caused it and hospital staff in Indonesia were unable to help him. They just couldn’t help him.
‘It just kept getting worse and worse. It took nine days.’
His aunt Michelle Allen started a fundraising campaign to cover the rising costs of hospital treatment and the medical airlift to Australia, racking up a bill of more than $110,000.
But to speed up the process, the family ultimately borrowed the money to pay for the medivac and will close the fundraiser on Friday after raising nearly $15,000 so far.
Ms Allen gave family and friends daily updates on her Facebook account as Tristan, whose sister Latisha is a model at a Sydney agency, fought for his life.
“His mom and dad are beside themselves with worry…we just want to get him home now,” she posted three days ago.
She added on Tuesday: ‘Tristan is now on his way to the airport in an ambulance – very painful for everyone to see him like this. But he is in safe hands now.’
Indonesian doctors intubated Tristan Xavier and put him on life support as he slipped in and out of consciousness, while his desperate family arranged to bring him back to Australia.
Tristan’s mother Sharyn Xavier, pictured with him and his sister Latisha, rushed to his hospital bed
Father Jeff Xavier, pictured with Tristan and Latisha, helped arrange the airlift to Australia
In an update to the GoFundMe appeal, she added: ‘The family would like to thank you all very much for your continued support and generosity.
‘We would like to thank everyone who has been there for Tristan and there were so many of you who did not know him personally but contributed with support and/or donations. We cannot express how much it means to us and Tristan.
‘We were able to borrow the money to arrange a Medivac flight and Tristan landed safely back in Perth.
“Tristan is still on life support and we pray he comes out of this soon.
“We are so humbled by everyone’s generosity and love. We, the family, are forever grateful.”