An Australian boy woke up from an induced coma days ago after a horrific accident while on holiday in Bali with his family.
Joshua ‘Joshy’ Schuetz, 8, from Perth, was a passenger on a quad bike driven by his brother when the vehicle overturned and pinned him to the ground in Ubud last Wednesday.
The talented Futsal player suffered a skull fracture and a brain hemorrhage just days before he was to participate in a tournament on the Indonesian island.
Joshua underwent emergency neurosurgery before being brought home in an induced coma last Friday.
He was transferred to Perth Children’s Hospital and within three days he was able to breathe on his own – which was a ‘huge milestone’.
Family friend Bernice “BJ” Ariasa shared another heartwarming update on Wednesday about Joshua’s “pretty incredible progress” after he was woken from a coma by doctors and taken off life support.
Incredibly, Joshua even communicates through hand gestures, with “the coolest thing being a thumbs up.”
Joshua ‘Joshy’ Schuetz, 8, (pictured) was trapped under an ATV in Bali last week and suffered a fractured skull and bleeding on the brain
The quad accident happened a few days before eight-year-old Joshua (photo) was to play in an indoor football tournament in Indonesia
However, Ms Ariasa added that Joshua still struggles to speak due to all the trauma from the various ventilators and tubes in his throat.
“But he asked what happened and they told him, and he was asked who is in his team photo and he can name them,” an update on a GoFundMe started reading for the family.
Ms Ariasa added that the 8-year-old remembers relatives visiting him in hospital.
“When asked who he remembers visiting him in the hospital, he remembers Linc coming in to talk to him in Bali,” she wrote.
‘That is so special and proves how important it is to talk to coma patients, regardless of what phase they are in.’
Despite this, the talented athlete still has a “very long road to recovery”, Ms Ariasa said in her update, but added that Joshua is a “fighter”.
“He knows his mates are waiting for him on the field when he’s ready on his own time,” she wrote.
Joshua was on holiday in Bali with his family ahead of a Futsal tournament he was due to take part in last weekend with some of his Cockburn Wolves teammates.
Joshua (photo) was taken off the ventilator after breathing on his own and woke up from an induced coma
The talented athlete (pictured) could name his teammates when shown their photo and communicate with hand signals
The club has since rallied behind its ‘beloved little champion’ by launching a #staystrongjoshy campaign online.
Teams paid tribute to Joshua during last weekend’s matches.
“The Wolves are an inclusive club and we call on all our members, regardless of faith background, to pray for healing and hold space in your hearts for Joshy Schuetz and his family,” the club wrote.
The GoFundMe to cover the family’s staggering medical bills, has now raised more than $126,000.