Joerg Teuchert
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An Australian mother who spent a month in an induced coma after being run over from her scooter during a horror hit-and-run in Bali has woken up.
The 36-year-old spent weeks sedated on a ventilator in the intensive care unit at Melbourne’s Alfred Hospital, before finally waking up from her induced coma on Sunday.
Peta Richards, her husband Matt and their boys Sonny, 4, and Alfie, 3, were on holiday in Bali on April 1 when the nurse was thrown off her bike by another cyclist after going out to buy her child from three years. no more birthday presents.
Peta Richards (pictured in hospital) was on holiday in Bali with her family when she was hit by another biker as she went out to buy her three-year-old son ‘another birthday present’
Peta Richards (right), her husband Matt (left) and their two young sons were vacationing in the tropical paradise when tragedy struck
Peta was rushed to a local hospital with serious head injuries, including brain bleeding, a fractured skull and severe brain swelling.
She was in critical condition in an induced coma after doctors at Kuta International Hospital performed life-saving surgery by removing part of her skull to relieve pressure on her brain.
Peta’s husband Matt worked tirelessly to coordinate his wife’s transfer to hospital in Melbourne and was brought back on a medical evacuation flight 10 days after the crash.
Her close friend Rachel Berben shared the good news with the GoFundMe account set up to help Peta and her family financially.
“She was transferred from intensive care to a ward. She is currently awake and taking baby steps day by day,” Ms Berben wrote.
“She will require further surgery in the coming weeks.
“From there, she will then move on to intensive neurological rehabilitation to begin her journey forward.”
Ms Peta had to undergo major surgery and had a piece of her skull removed to relieve pressure on her brain. Surgeons performed the lifesaving operation at Kuta International Hospital
The mother-of-two faces a long road to recovery with her friends and family asking those following Peta’s journey to keep her in their ‘prayers and thoughts’.
Peta and her family had been waiting for more than two years to go on a trip with the beloved mother working on the front lines throughout the pandemic.
They had landed in Bali at the end of February and had five weeks of travel before she decided to set off on a short trip to get another present for Alfie, when the experienced motorcyclist was hit and run.
Ms Berben said the crash was a matter of being in the ‘wrong place at the wrong time’
“She has her motorcycle license, she has her international license, she has travel insurance, she was wearing a helmet,” Ms Berben said.
“She was doing everything right.”
Peta’s husband Matt worked tirelessly to coordinate his wife’s transfer to Alfred Hospital in Melbourne. Ms Richard was flown back on a medical evacuation flight (pictured) 10 days after the crash
Her husband Matt has been by her side the entire time, ensuring Peta is moved safely between Balinese hospitals, arranging return flights while caring for their young children.
“He is absolutely inhuman. What he has done is beyond the capabilities of any one person,’ friend Ms Berben told Daily Mail Australia.
Her husband Matt, mother and sister have been by her side constantly while sharing the responsibilities of caring for Sonny and Alfie.
“Never in a million years would you have thought that taking a 7-minute trip to buy your 3-year-old son ‘one more birthday present’ would completely change the course of your life,” said Ms. Berben.
“It’s completely horrific that in this divided section their lives have been turned upside down.
“Just knowing she’ll never have the life she had before, it’s going to be a long road back to something like this with her boys.”
Rachel said Sonny and Alfie weren’t “fully aware” of what was going on with their mother.
“It’s so hard to tell a three or four year old what happened, they just think she’s sick.” It’s just devastating.
The GoFundMe account recorded over 1,500 donations totaling $141,118 and received a $10,000 donation from a complete stranger.
The family was shocked by the outpouring of support they received so quickly.
“They are completely overwhelmed and appreciate everyone’s messages of support, awareness and donations, so thank you so much,” Rachel posted on the page.
A GoFundMe account has been set up to help pay for Peta’s medical bills – which has seen more than 1,000 donations totaling $141,118,000 (pictured, Ms Richards with her family)
