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An Aussie influencer is fighting for her life in a Bali hospital after suddenly contracting a deadly brain infection during the trip of a lifetime.
Gold Coast-based fitness creator and online coach Khiana Smith, 23, had been traveling through Europe for two weeks before arriving in Bali for a week, when she suddenly fell severely ill.
The health-conscious influencer told news.com.au that she “never expected” to find herself in this nightmare, sharing that she’s been bedridden in the intensive care unit for eight days with both bacterial and viral meningitis, hospital-contracted pneumonia and fluid on her lungs.
Medical staff currently have no idea how she contracted the illness, noting it could have been from contaminated food, water she was swimming in, or even a fellow passenger on a flight.
“I don’t know what happened, like I seriously don’t, I just woke up one day and I just had the worst headache, like I couldn’t even get out of bed,” she explained.
She knew something was seriously wrong when she began experiencing “extreme head pains, dizziness, slurred speech, slurred vision, and a severe sensitivity to light.”
Bacterial meningitis is a severe, rapidly-progressing infection of the membranes protecting the brain and spinal cord that can be life-threatening if not treated immediately.
After a villa IV drip failed to manage her intense symptoms, an ambulance rushed her to a Bali International Hospital within minutes.
Her terrified mother, Cass Smith, caught the first available flight to Indonesia upon hearing the news.
“There is nothing more terrifying than knowing your child is fighting for her life in a foreign country and you’re thousands of kilometers away, unable to hold her hand,” she told news.com.au in an exclusive interview.
Despite the stress of being in a foreign hospital and navigating a language barrier, the family praised the Indonesian medical staff for their efforts.
Smith was given a CT scan and connected to an antibiotic drip within a few hours of arriving – a rapid response her mother says “probably saved her life.”
The family noted that doctors have attended to the 23-year-old within 10 to 15 minutes during serious declines, adding that the level of medical attention has exceeded what they typically experience in Australian hospitals.
The devastating illness has still taken a severe toll on the 23-year-old’s body, leaving her with the scary side effects of memory loss and difficulty maintaining conversations.
“I have lost a lot of memory, like I really struggle to remember things,” she shared.
Meningitis can have long-term consequences due to brain swelling, but her family is highly hopeful that the rapid administration of antibiotics will prevent any lasting damage and that the memory loss is temporary.
Desperate to return to Australia, Smith remains unable to fly due to the swelling on her brain and the cabin pressure of a plane.
The family hopes she will be hopefully cleared to fly in about a week, at which point she will cut her travel plans short to rest and recuperate on the Gold Coast.
“I feel absolutely helpless and I just wanna go home,” she said, adding that even doing the bare minimum feels impossible.
She urged others to learn from her nightmare, noting that she takes her health seriously, eats clean, and moves daily.
“Life is so precious, one minute I’m healthy travelling the world, living my dream life and the next I’m bed bound in ICU in Bali with a brain infection that could of killed me,” she warned.
“Don’t take your life or health for granted ever.”
Hundreds of shocked followers have flocked to the creator’s social media pages to wish her a speedy recovery.
“Sending you a big hug from Australia I hope you get home soon,” one person shared, while another added: “You are so strong, sending you all the love and healing.”
Crucially, the massive hospital bills are covered by travel insurance.
“Thankfully I had convinced her to take it out before she left and she listened to me for once,” her mother shared.
“I think it is so important for anyone who travels to understand the importance of having insurance.”
