Delicate operation to bring newborn girl back to Australia begins after she caught lethal infection in Bali as highly-specialised medical team race against time to get her home
- Australian baby in Bali hospital to be flown home
- Lucky will be placed on emergency flight on Monday
The Australian baby who has been fighting for her life in a Balinese hospital is due to arrive back in her home country this afternoon after a highly-specialised air medical team arrived on the Indonesian island to start the delicate operation.
Seven-week-old Lucky will be on an emergency flight run by Medical Rescue in a matter of hours and is expected to land in Brisbane, Queensland, on Monday afternoon.
Lucky was rushed to hospital and diagnosed with a severe bacterial infection last Wednesday after her mother, Honey Ahimsa, realised she was struggling to breathe.
She has been forced to spend the past week in Bali after her mother revealed on Friday that her condition was considered too fragile to be flown back home.
The Australian baby who has been fighting for her life in a Balinese hospital is due to arrive back in her home country this afternoon
Lucky was rushed to hospital and diagnosed with a severe bacterial infection on Wednesday after her mother, Honey Ahimsa, realised she was struggling to breathe
Medical Rescue crew were sent over to Bali on Sunday and will attempt to stabilise the baby before placing her on the flight and taking her home.
The specialist medical group uses rescue helicopters, fixed wing air ambulance and telemedicine support.
Clinical operations manager Josh Campbell told 7News they offered Lucky’s family ‘essentially a mobile intensive care unit’ including a retrieval physician and a specialist intensive care paediatric nurse.
‘It’s a very delicate operation as you could imagine,’ Mr Campbell said.
‘We must get her improving and more stable before she can be transported,’ Ms Ahimsa wrote in an Instagram post.
‘She’s fighting strong, yesterday there was a small improvement which is a miracle.’
She added late Friday night: ‘The hospital has more specialised staff and better equipment/medicine.’
‘Goal is she will make enough improvements and then we can fly to Australia.’
Ms Ahimsa revealed on Friday her child was so sick that her condition was considered too fragile to be flown back home
Lucky has been on a ventilator since she arrived at the Siloam Hospital in Denpasar on Wednesday, unable to breathe on her own.
She was transferred to another hospital on Friday night where she received more comprehensive treatment.
Doctors told Ms Ahimsa and her fiance Pan their baby girl may not make it and has a 50 per cent chance of survival at best.
Lucky’s story has captured the hearts of many around the world, with an online fundraiser reaching over $190,000 in just a few days.
Hospital care is currently costing the family $5,000 to $8,000 a day, with the flight to Brisbane currently quoted at $106,000.
‘She is the most beautiful, gentle little girl and the world needs to know her,’ Ms Ahimsa said.
Money raised will also go towards recovery care along with accommodation for Lucky and her family.
‘If there are any remaining funds they will be donated to a charity or used to create a non profit establishment that will help children,’ the updated page states.
Medical Rescue crew were sent over to Bali on Sunday and will attempt to stabilise the baby before placing her on the flight and taking her home
