An Australian man who suffered horrific injuries after a home invasion in Bali said he is just “happy to be alive” after surviving the ordeal.
Joe, a Victorian man, has lived “back and forth in Bali for the last few years,” he told Daily Mail Australia.
But he and his girlfriend were victims of a gruesome crime at 2am on October 17: a “robbery and attempted murder” at their rented home on the resort island.
‘An Indonesian man wearing a mask entered my house with a large knife while I was sleeping. “I woke up surprised, in the dark, looking at him standing in my room,” said Joe, 39.
He jumped out of bed, grabbed the blade of the knife the invader was holding, and fought for his life.
The man shouted ‘punya temen’, which means ‘I have friends’.
“He ran away and smashed my head with a picture frame while I was chasing him,” said Joe, whose hands were lacerated by the sword.
In addition to being seriously injured, their phones, They stole his passport, laptop, wallet, bank cards, some clothes and glasses; Everything was in a bag, since that same day I had to go on a trip.
Australian Joe (pictured) suffered horrific injuries in a home invasion in Bali but said he is just “happy to be alive” after surviving the ordeal.
To add to his extreme distress, no one responded when his girlfriend called the police and an ambulance, and he He had to get help from convenience store workers to take him to a hospital.
He needed surgery but did not want to have it done in Bali due to the extent and intricate nature of his injuries.
Joe didn’t have insurance, but that wasn’t the only reason he didn’t want to get the treatment he needed in Bali.
“I’ve been told by friends that you should never have surgery in Bali,” he said.
‘Although the thief took all my things, including my passport, I was sure there would be some kind of system set up so I could catch the flight (back to Australia).
But apparently not. That’s why my sister came here and we had to apply for an emergency passport.’
With the help of his brother he was able to fly back to Australia a week later, where he underwent surgery on both hands at Charles Gairdner Hospital in Perth.
“The surgeon did four surgeries and repaired the two severed tendons in my middle finger, the broken metacarpal and the severed nerve in my right thumb,” he said.
He needed surgery but did not want to have it done in Bali due to the extent and intricate nature of his injuries.
Unlike his experience in Bali, Joe said he is now “super happy and happy with Australia, the systems, the hospital, Medicare, I’m happy with the support of my family.”
He has since been discharged from hospital but will need three months of hand therapy and medication such as antibiotics and anti-inflammatory tablets and nerve painkillers.
You have created a GoFundMe as all the stolen items, medical bills, emergency documents and last-minute flights have already cost him more than $20,000.
“It’s a little embarrassing” to have organized the fundraiser, he said, but if people can help in any way, “he’ll be forever grateful.”
“If you can’t, that’s okay too, I’m just happy to be alive.”
Joe’s fingers are now moving, but he will have to spend a lot of time doing hand exercises in the coming months to make sure his tendons are working and moving through the scar problem.
He doesn’t know who attacked him and he didn’t think he had any enemies, but he wonders if anyone noticed that he lived in a nice rental apartment, with nice furniture.
“It’s hard because I don’t want my mind to go down this path,” he said.
There are “two sides” to the recovery process, Joe said.
“The surgeon did four surgeries and repaired the two severed tendons in my middle finger, the broken metacarpal and the severed nerve in my right thumb,” he said.
‘I’m happy with the physical aspect because the doctors have reattached the tendons and have been very confident in my recovery.
‘The other side is just the emotional side because I’ve never been through anything that heavy.
“I’m struggling to turn off the light at night, to go to sleep.”
While Bali police eventually made a report about what happened, “they haven’t held out hope,” he said.
“I have the thief’s security cameras and his fingerprints and I have given the authorities serial numbers of everything stolen, but (they have done) nothing.”
Despite his life-threatening ordeal, Joe said: “I still love the people and the culture (of Bali).
“I think most people there are good, but people, especially Australians, need to know that if they go on holiday, there is crime.”