EXCLUSIVE
An Australian dance teacher who suffered catastrophic injuries to her brain and face is being flown home from Bali as doctors battle to save her sight.
Rebecca “Becci” Ode, 36, who suffered horrific injuries in the mysterious crash on the night she was due to celebrate her birthday, had gone to Bali to recover from the mental trauma of her father’s tragic suicide.
Kevin Ode died suddenly on April 30, 2022 at age 60, devastating his immediate family including his daughters Rebecca and sister Jordyn.
Relatives said Ms Ode had recently been “happier” after a six-month break on the Indonesian resort island.
But she was later found semi-conscious on a road near Jungut Batu beach on the island of Nusa Lembongan, southeast of Bali, at around 1am last Tuesday.
She was flown to a hospital in the Balinese capital of Denpasar, where she underwent 14 hours of brain, eye and reconstructive surgery for a shattered eye socket, a broken collarbone and a brain hemorrhage.
Doctors fear she could still lose one of her eyes, but Dr Bagus Mahadewa of Ngoerah General Hospital warned that Ms Ode needed to be urgently flown to Australia by air ambulance as there could still be brain fluid trapped inside her skull.
Daily Mail Australia understands that Ms Ode’s medical evacuation to Australia is already underway after the Ode family raised $206,000 in a GoFundMe Appeal.
Becci Ode (right, with sister Jordyn) is being medically evacuated home to Australia on Monday after suffering serious injuries to her face and head in Bali.
The 36-year-old dance instructor will fly home for further medical treatment after a mysterious accident left her suffering injuries that could mean she loses an eye.
Ms Ode’s brother-in-law, Jesse Wilton, who works with his sister Jordyn in Newcastle real estate, said her medical bills totalled $60,000 in the first few days alone.
An air ambulance flight could bring Ms Ode back to Australia in three to four hours.
“We have no idea how the injury occurred… there was no alcohol… and the extent of his injuries is quite traumatic,” Wilton said.
Dr Mahedawa told Daily Mail Australia that his team had been operating on Ms Ode’s wounds for 10 hours.
“It looked like a serious accident with a strong impact,” he added. “He may have hit a wall, a road, a pedestrian (or a vehicle) very hard, but nobody knows.”
After she was found semi-conscious last week, doctors at Denpasar Hospital immediately operated on her and drained fluid from Ms Ode’s brain.
Becci Ode (left in hospital) and (right) a CT scan of her head following the catastrophic accident in Bali a week ago, is being flown to Australia by air ambulance.
A photo of Becci Ode (center), her sister Jordyn as children with their father Kevin, which they posted on Facebook after he tragically took his own life in 2022, with Jordyn asking a friend to donate to the Black Dog Institute.
A plastic surgeon worked on her face and nose, an eye surgeon focused on her right eye and an orthopedic surgeon placed plates on her skull.
Bali police told the Daily Mail Australia on Friday that Ms Ode was riding a Yamaha scooter and lost control when she crashed into a parked motorcycle.
The report said it was a clear night and the sky was dark when the incident occurred. There was almost no traffic on the road.
Although she was now able to speak after the surgery, Dr Mahadewa said Ms Ode could not remember what had happened.
The first words he said to the medical staff when he woke up were: “What happened to me?”
Mr Wilton said the family’s main aim was to bring Ms Ode home as soon as possible.
“We know that Bec will continue to fight her best battle with her strong will and determination,” he added.
Becci Ode (left) with her sister Jordyn and mother Shari, who flew to Bali to be by her side after receiving the phone call saying Becci had been horribly injured in an accident.
Ms Ode suffered structural damage to her face that will leave her disfigured for the rest of her life.
Her mother, Shari, and sister Jordyn had flown to Bali to be by her side and were traumatised by the severity of Ms Ode’s injuries.
“The impact completely ripped his eye out of his head and the damage was so severe that they weren’t sure they could save his eye,” Jordyn said on Facebook.
“Her nose was split in half and the cartilage was destroyed. Her face had to be reconstructed and I am desperate to get her home to get professional help.
“Orthopedic surgeons repaired his collarbone and shoulder, which were also damaged. He now has a metal plate to hold his collarbone together.”
Jordyn and Becci Ode were well known and respected dancers in the Newcastle area. Becci had also most recently worked at Seaworld.
With ambulance transfers, a flight to Sydney and then transport to Newcastle, the cost of bringing Ms Ode home is expected to exceed $250,000.
Let’s bring Bec home and support her recovery! on GoFundme had reached $206,336 at the time of publication.
If you need help, please contact Lifeline on 13 11 14 or Beyond Blue on 1300 224 636
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