Perth toddler almost died after contracting flesh-eating bacteria in Thailand
A relaxing holiday in Thailand turned terrifying for a Bunbury couple, when their youngest daughter almost died from a flesh-eating bacteria.
Amarli travelled to Thailand with her parents Sharna and Brendan Marshall and four-year-old sister Kensi on holiday in June.
But their 10-day holiday turned into a six-week ordeal at an emergency ward in Bangkok, after the 18-month-old nearly died from the bacteria.
When Amarli became extremely sick, a doctor initially told her family she was going to be okay.
But the Marshall's were worried and took her to Phuket hospital on July 3, where a medical team diagnosed her with pneumonia, Fairfax reports.
The family knew it was something more when things dramatically took a turn for the worse.
Little Amarli was airlifted to Bangkok ICU on July 5 to be treated by "a better team of doctors".
“She had a team of doctors working on her; a lung doctor, a kidney doctor, a surgeon, a blood doctor, and an infectious disease specialist, so she had a team of people trying to determine what was wrong," Mrs Marshall told Fairfax.
Amarli, who has been described as a "little fighter", was diagnosed with Streptococcus Necrotising Pneumonia - a life-threatening condition of bacterial lung infection.
She was also diagnosed with acute renal failure and Haemolytic Rhymonic Syndrome, an immune reaction that causes a low amount of red blood cells.
Her family were told that their only option would be to remove part of their little girl's lung to prevent the infection from spreading.
After spending 34 days in hospital, Amarli is now able to stay in a hotel with her family.
Doctors told Mrs Marshall her daughter may have contracted the disease during the flight to Thailand.
The Marshall's have been away from home for six weeks and can't fly home until their little girl is stronger.
"The doctors have been amazed at how sick she was, and they were really concerned that we would lose her, and then on the other side of that how quickly she has recovered," Mrs Marshall said.
"Her lungs are functioning really well for someone who is missing part of a lung, they said there is not going to be any long-term impacts."
Mrs Marshall said her daughter was back to her normal "cheeky" self, despite have to re-learn to how to walk.
It was unknown how she had picked up the airborne bacteria.
The family have flights booked to return to Perth on Tuesday.
“Flights have been booked, were really coming home now…Doesn't seem real, just a can't believe we are finally coming home..." he wrote.
Family and friends set up a Go Fund Me page to help the family with medical expenses so they can remain "focused on giving Amarli strength to keep making the journey back to health".
"While travel insurance is helping, this extended stay overseas is having an impact on the family's finances," the page reads.
