Bali hit-run victim returns home
An Australian man who is in an induced coma after a hit-run incident in Bali has arrived home in Melbourne for urgent medical treatment.
Nicho White, 40, suffered major head injuries when he was hit by a car in the Kerobokan area on Friday morning while riding his motorbike home.
Mr White, who has not roused from an induced coma, touched down in Melbourne at around 8pm last night, before he was rushed by ambulance to the Alfred Hospital where a specialist team of surgeons were waiting.
He had spent almost a week in a Denpasar hospital, but his chances of survival have dramatically increased with his homecoming.
"We're just extremely relieved to have Nicho back in Melbourne," said friend Kylie Young.
A private Medivac jet was needed to fly Nicho home for the life-saving treatment, costing his family more than $100,000.
There were fears Nicho would not survive the flight, but his family were willing to take the risk to get him the treatment he so desperately needed.
“The flight will be a tricky sort of manoeuvre,” Stepfather Ian McGill had earlier told AAP.
“It takes quite a lot of people and equipment, and to be honest we've had advice from a specialist that it's a risk. But it's a gamble that we had to take.”
The Bali resident did not have medical insurance and the local driver of the car involved was unable to contribute to the growing medical bill.
A marathon fundraising effort by his family has covered the cost of returning Nicho to Australia and given him the best chance of survival.
The campaign on youcaring.com attracted support from some high-profile Australians from the music, sport and fashion worlds.
Mr White was once a competitive footballer and swimmer, while his sister Jessie is the creative force behind fashion label Shakuhachi.
His brother Ollie McGill plays keyboards for the popular Melbourne band The Cat Empire and composed the award-winning song “Dumb Ways to Die” for the famous Metro Trains campaign.
Donors have included Olympian Michael Klim, designer Alice McCall and dozens of people identifying themselves as “friends of The Cat Empire”.
As well as paying the hospital bill from Bali, which was costing up to $5000 a day, the funds will also go to Mr White's future care.
