A BUCKS weekend abroad has ended in tragedy for a Cairns family.
Ash Hickman, 32, of Smithfield, was left in a coma at a Kuta hospital in Bali after he suffered a fractured skull in a moped accident.
Mr Hickman and his fiancee Tam Matthews were to be married this weekend.
“One of his friends called me on Saturday and said there had been an accident — I was in a final fitting for the wedding dress at the time,’ Ms Matthews said from Bali.
“I was on the next flight I could get to Bali and arrived with his mum that night.”
“It is just a waiting game at this point.”
The father of one underwent brain surgery on Saturday to relieve pressure on his brain and stop the bleeding — but not before his family coughed up $30,000 when the clock was ticking for the life-saving procedure.
“It took nine hours to come up with the money and they would not accept money transfer, only credit card,” Ms Matthews said.
Mr Hickman — who was fully insured and wearing a helmet — did not hold the required international drivers’ licence for the moped.
Doctors have been monitoring his condition in the intensive care unit.
“There have been lots of meetings,” Ms Matthews said.
His quality of medical treatment has been quite good — he has his own team to deal with him 24/7 and we are able to see him day or night.”
Mr Hickman is in a stable condition and is expected to be taken off life support in stages today.
“We won’t know the full extent of the damage until he wakes up,” Ms Matthews said.
“He will need to remain in ICU for five days and it will be another 14 days until he can travel.”
Mr Hickman faces a long rehabilitation upon his return to Australia.
The crisis has resulted in an flood of good wishes for Mr Hickman and nearly $10,000 raised from 115 donors in a crowd-funding campaign.
All money raised will go toward Mr Hickman’s medical bills which have already reached $37,000, plus $14000 in medication.