'Totally devastated': Darwin mum dies suddenly on family holiday in Bali
A devastated Darwin family are struggling to come to terms with the sudden death of their “amazing” daughter in Bali.
Mother-of-three Donna Dwyer fell ill on a recent holiday on the popular Indonesian island and died days later in hospital after being placed in an induced coma.
Her distraught parents Gail and Pete Barker, who were with their daughter on holiday, took to Facebook to confirm her death on Saturday.
“The first day Donna wasn’t feeling very well,” Mr Barker explained.
“That night she had chest pain so we took her to the hospital.”
He said they thought her visit would be short however, to their dismay, her condition drastically worsened.
“Doctors couldn’t do anything to help her and this morning she passed away peacefully,” Mr Barker said.
Ms Barker said they were unsure as to what had caused her death but suggested it appeared “some sort of super bug” was involved.
Falling ill on July 2, the mother was placed into an induced coma on Thursday before being transferred to Denpasar’s main hospital on Friday but died on Saturday morning.
The parents confirmed the Coroner is currently investigating the cause of her death.
The gutted parents admitted they are struggling to stay positive over her sudden death, with the strength of their second daughter providing much needed support for Ms Dwyer’s husband Kieran and their three young sons.
“We are just totally devastated,” Ms Barker said online.
“I never believed I would have to sit in a meeting and be told how my beautiful girl died. It is the hardest thing I have ever done.
“I feel like someone has ripped my heart out.”
She said Ms Dwyer’s body was returned to Australia earlier in the week.
Tributes pour in for ‘gorgeous’ mother
Following the family’s announcement, there was an outpouring of support online, with many paying tribute to the mother.
“A gorgeous woman who was full of life and had a beautiful smile and laughter, you will be missed,” one person wrote.
So many hearts shattered hearing about your beautiful girl being taken from you too soon. She will forever remain in my heart as the smart, funny and gorgeous soul she was,” another said.
A GoFundMe has since been set up by a family friend to help cover the costs of bringing her home and the funeral costs.
“She was an amazing mother and has left behind a young family who are still coming to terms with this tragedy,” the page reads.
Ms Barker thanked the support of the community in the wake her daughter’s death.
“We are so totally overwhelmed by the outpouring of love and kind words for Donna and it gives us strength,” she said.
A Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade spokesperson confirmed to Yahoo News Australia that DFAT provided consular assistance to the family of an Australian woman who died in Bali last week.
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