Aussie faces $50,000 medical bill after Bali accident strips him of 'biggest joy'
Sam Hourigan is 'lucky' to be alive after being crushed by a scooter.
An Aussie man faces $50,000 worth of medical costs after suffering life-threatening injuries from a hit-and-run incident in Bali, with his injuries so severe he is unlikely to be able to continue "one of his biggest joys in life". Sam Hourigan was in the Uluwatu region last weekend when he was struck down by a motorbike rider who was reportedly travelling on the wrong side of the road with no lights on.
While Hourigan lay unconscious, another scooter crushed him, leaving him with broken ribs, a shattered spleen, "cuts all over his body" and internal bleeding. His travel insurance will reportedly not cover the medical costs due to a "minor technical exclusion". The exact issue is unknown.
His partner Kristen Czyszek said the injuries will impact Hourigan forever. "Nothing can prepare you for the amount of grief, shock, anger and sadness seeing the one you love fighting for their life," she wrote on social media. "Day and night I am by his side."
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Man 'heartbroken' injuries will stop him from 'biggest joy in life'
Hourigan was an avid freediver and frequently explored new underwater locations with his partner. However, due to the removal of his spleen, he now faces the possibility of never doing so again, as the organ is vital for divers to physiologically adapt when holding their breath underwater for long periods at reduced altitudes.
"Sam now has no spleen or appendix, and one of his biggest joys in life is freediving which may be taken away forever. He knows he is lucky to be alive but his heart is broken," Czyszek said.
A GoFundMe page has been created to raise funds which will be put towards the medical bills.
"Everyone that knows him will say he is the most generous person with the biggest heart," she said.
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