Bali hospital emergency a ‘complete shock’ to young Limerick couple

A LIMERICK man is recovering in hospital in Indonesia's Bali after a sudden and life-threatening diabetic emergency left him in intensive care.

Richard ‘Richy’ Hayes, originally from Shanagolden and now based in Sydney, Australia, was enjoying a holiday in Bali with his partner, Rebecca O’Connell from Dromcollogher, when he fell critically ill. He was diagnosed with Diabetic Ketoacidosis (DKA), a serious complication of diabetes, and admitted to the ICU at BIMC Hospital in Nusa Dua last Thursday.

Richard , 27, has since been transferred from intensive care to a general ward as his condition shows signs of improvement. However, he faces a long road to recovery and has only just begun adjusting to a new diagnosis of diabetes.

Richard and Rebecca's friend, Suan Murphy who also lives with them in Australia said the episode came as a “complete shock” to friends and family, as Richard was previously in excellent health with no known medical conditions. She added that he became very unwell last Wednesday, June 11 experiencing a lot of abdominal pain and drowsiness.

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“He hadn't been feeling great for a few days before that, just quite tired... and his girlfriend, Rebecca just rang the ambulance and brought him into the hospital here.” At first, hospital staff were unsure of the severity of his condition, but tests revealed dangerously high acidic levels in his blood and blood sugar readings of over 60.

Suan explained that Richard was diagnosed with diabetes after being admitted to hospital. “It's a new diagnosis now of diabetes for him so they're just trialing different insulins, trying to get his blood sugar's level.” His blood sugars were above 60 when he went into hospital and the normal range is between four and seven.

Because he had no prior health issues, Richard had not taken out travel insurance. As a result, the costs of his hospital bills and potentially medically assisted transport back to Australia are mounting rapidly. “You're paying for everything from the meals to the bed per night to the needles that are used, to the syringes that are used, to the gowns that are worn... Because they didn't have health insurance, everything is out of pocket, ” said Suan.

An online GoFundMe campaign was launched to help cover expenses. The fundraiser has raised over $87,000 to date. Speaking about the huge support for the fundraiser to date, Suan said: “We didn't really have a target but it absolutely blew our minds.”

There are still concerns around how and when Richard can be safely transported back to Sydney. Due to his condition, he may require a paramedic or even air ambulance support but the hospital is hopeful that they will be able to discharge Richard this week depending on his blood sugar levels.

Richard previously played inter-county football with Limerick at minor and U21 level and played at all levels with St Senan's GAA Club. The club has offered its support and for the next two weeks the club is contributing 50% of all monies from their Split the Pot fundraiser to the GoFundMe.

To donate to the fundraiser search for ‘Help us get Richard Hayes home’ on GoFundMe.