My arm was crushed in a horror smash with a lorry in Bali – it’s a miracle I’m still alive

A beautician has described in detail the excruciating pain she felt when her arm was crushed by a truck in Bali, saying she is “incredibly lucky” to be alive.

Charlene Morrissey was on her way to a camping trip on the Indonesian island on July 21 when her motorcycle began to wobble and she collided with an oncoming truck.

The 33-year-old had sold her business and flew to Bali in January, where she met her partner Kenny Wood. But a freak accident turned their dream life into a nightmare.

Charlene, from Airdrie, North Lanarkshire, told of the terrifying experience: STV News: ‘It completely crushed my hand. I pulled my arm out and all my skin and fat came off. It took everything down to the bone.

‘I lay screaming on the side of the road for 40 minutes.’

A fundraiser was set up to help Charlene (pictured) get the treatment she needed to save her arm

Although Kenny quickly ran to be with her, Charlene begged him to let her die as she bled to death on the side of the road for six hours.

She remembered her fingers being “in different positions” and her “trying to get them back into place.”

Charlene even used a piece of string from her camping gear to secure the skin that fell off her arm.

“I didn’t know that kind of pain existed,” she said. “That’s something that will never leave me. I don’t even know if I’ll ever have the words to describe it.”

Eventually an ambulance arrived and Charlene was taken to a local hospital with her broken arm in nothing but a cotton cloth.

But the doctors could not treat her there and she was quickly transferred to a BIMC hospital.

Charlene had multiple blood transfusions as doctors fought to save her life. Her bones were broken from her hand down.

But the hospital suspended treatment after it was told her travel insurance company would not pay the sky-high medical bills resulting from two previous claims.

Her concerned family turned to GoFundMe in a desperate attempt to raise much-needed funds.

Over £100,000 was crowdfunded for Charlene’s treatment in just three days. Without this money, her arm would likely have been amputated completely.

Charlene (pictured in hospital) received multiple blood transfusions as doctors tried to save her arm, but they stopped treatment after discovering her travel insurance company wouldn’t pay her medical bills.

Charlene (pictured) moved to Bali in January 2024 after selling her business

Her partner Kenny described the money as ‘absolutely essential to her survival’.

Although Charlene thanked the donors, she believes the skin and fat on her arm could have been saved if doctors had performed the surgery on her first day in hospital, instead of waiting until the money came in three days later.

After the operation, Charlene was kept in hospital, where doctors gave her a series of strong painkillers and drip-fed her water for two weeks.

The health influencer lost over seven pounds during this desperate period and felt her body giving out.

Charlene was then flown to Glasgow Royal Infirmary, where staff were confused by the strange mix of medications she was taking, including drugs for diabetes and several antibiotics.

Eight weeks after this horrific ordeal, Charlene endures painful physiotherapy sessions, often bringing tears to her eyes.

She does strenuous exercises every hour in the hope that her hand will become stronger again.

Charlene (pictured) is now at home in Airdrie, where she is undergoing intensive physiotherapy, which often leaves her in tears

Charlene still suffers from severe PTSD symptoms, especially in the hospital.

The 33-year-old now lives in Airdrie with web developer Kenny, who admits he lies awake at night with flashbacks of Charlene’s bizarre accident.

“It’s helpless to see someone you love in so much pain,” he said. “It’s something I don’t think will ever leave me.”