EXCLUSIVE
The Australian dance teacher who suffered serious brain and facial injuries is being flown home from Bali as doctors try to save her sight.
Rebecca ‘Becci’ Ode, 36, who suffered horrific injuries in the mysterious accident on the night she was supposed to celebrate her birthday, had gone to Bali to recover from the mental trauma of her father’s tragic suicide.
Kevin Ode passed away suddenly on April 30, 2022 at the age of 60. This had a great impact on his immediate family, including his daughters Rebecca and her sister Jordyn.
According to family members, Mrs Ode was recently ‘happiest’ after a six-month holiday on the Indonesian holiday island.
But she was found semi-conscious on a road near Jungut Batu Beach on Nusa Lembongan island, southeast of Bali, around 1am last Tuesday.
She was flown to hospital in the Balinese capital Denpasar, where she underwent 14 hours of brain, eye and reconstructive surgery for a shattered eye socket, a broken collarbone and a brain hemorrhage.
Doctors fear she could still lose one of her eyes, but Dr Bagus Mahadewa from Ngoerah General Hospital warned that Ms Ode must be rushed to Australia by air ambulance as there may still be cerebrospinal fluid trapped in her skull.
Daily Mail Australia has learned that Ms Ode’s medical evacuation back to Australia has now begun after the Ode family raised $206,000 in a GoFundMe Appeal.
Becci Ode (right, with her sister Jordyn) is medically evacuated home to Australia on Monday after suffering serious facial and head injuries in Bali
The 36-year-old dance teacher is being flown home to receive further medical treatment after suffering injuries in a mysterious accident that could result in the loss of an eye
Ms Ode’s brother-in-law Jesse Wilton, who works in real estate with her sister Jordyn in Newcastle, said her medical bills in the first few days alone totalled $60,000.
An ambulance flight could get Ms Ode back to Australia within three to four hours.
“We have no idea how she was injured… there was no alcohol… and the severity of her injuries is quite traumatic,” Wilton said.
Dr Mahedawa told Daily Mail Australia his team spent 10 hours operating on Ms Ode’s injuries.
“It looked like a serious accident with a heavy impact,” he added. “She may have hit a wall, a road or a pedestrian. [or a vehicle] ‘very difficult – but nobody knows.’
When she was found semi-conscious last week, doctors at the hospital in Denpasar immediately operated on her and drained fluid from her brain.
Becci Ode (left in hospital) and (right) a scan of her head after the catastrophic accident in Bali a week ago, is taken to Australia by trauma helicopter
A photo of Becci Ode (center), her sister Jordyn as children with their father Kevin, posted to Facebook after he tragically committed suicide in 2022, with Jordyn asking a friend to donate to the Black Dog Institute
A plastic surgeon treated her face and nose, an eye surgeon focused on her right eye, and an orthopedic surgeon placed plates in her skull.
Balinese police told Daily Mail Australia on Friday that Ms Ode was riding a Yamaha scooter and lost control, colliding with a parked motorcycle.
The report stated that it was a clear night with dark skies when the incident occurred. There was almost no traffic on the road.
Although she was able to speak again after the surgery, Dr. Mahadewa said she could not remember what had happened.
The first words she said to the medical staff when she woke up were, “What happened to me?”
Mr Wilton said the family’s main goal was to get Mrs Ode home as soon as possible.
“We know Bec will continue to fight her best with her strong will and determination,” he added.
Becci Ode (left) with her sister Jordyn and mother Shari, who both flew to Bali to be with her after receiving a call that Becci had been seriously injured in an accident.
Mrs. Ode has structural damage to her face which will leave her disfigured for the rest of her life.
Her mother Shari and sister Jordyn had flown to Bali to be with her, traumatized by the severity of Mrs Ode’s injuries.
“The impact completely ripped her eye out of her head and the damage was so severe they weren’t sure if they could save the eye,” Jordyn wrote on Facebook.
“Her nose was split in two and the cartilage was shattered. They had to rebuild her face and I’m desperate to get her home and get professional help.
“The orthopedic surgeons repaired her collarbone and shoulder, which were also affected. She now has a metal plate to hold her collarbone together.”
Jordyn and Becci Ode were well known and respected dancers in the Newcastle area. Becci also recently worked at Seaworld.
Including ambulance transport, a flight to Sydney and then transport to Newcastle, it is expected to cost more than $250,000 to get Ms Ode home.
Let’s bring Bec home and support her recovery! on GoFundme amounted to $206,336 at the time of publication.
If you need support, please contact Lifeline on 13 11 14 or Beyond Blue on 1300 224 636