A dying Perth dad's bucket-list overseas trip has ended in disaster, as he remains seriously ill and stuck in Bali after a fall.
Last year Duncan Turner, 46, suffered a serious head injury from a first fall, causing a blood clot on the brain followed by multiple strokes and seizures. He was left paralysed and spent months learning to walk and talk again.
The family fulfills the little girl’s dream in Singapore.
Mr Turner also has liver disease and doctors told he and partner Michelle Edgar he was not recovering as they had hoped, with his blood levels not stabilising as expected. The couple do not know how long he has to live.
They decided to fulfill their young daughter Amelie's wish to make special memories swimming with dolphins. But they soon realised they would have to fly to Singapore to have the experience. Australian operators refused to allow the five-year-old to swim with dolphins as she was not big enough — Amelie was born weighing just 606 grams at 27 weeks and is the size of an average two-year-old.
Ms Edgar said the time had come to do what Mr Turner wanted to do.
"Bucket-list style," she said.
"He was wanting to make memories with her, her dream was to go swimming with dolphins."
Duncan Turner and daughter Amelie as he receives treatment in hospital overseas.
Mr Turner could not get insurance coverage for the trip due to his medical conditions, and the couple acknowledged they took the risk of travelling without it, thinking that five days in Singapore would be safe.
"When we were in Singapore he had a fall," Ms Edgar said.
"With his bloods being how they are, his leg was extremely bad."
After treatment in Singapore, the family headed home on a flight with a stopover in Bali. But Mr Turner became unwell on the first flight, losing consciousness and needing oxygen and an ambulance to hospital.
He has no idea when doctors will clear him to fly home with Jetstar, and the bills are now building up, with a room at the Bali hospital costing $580 per night. He has checked out of the hospital after several days due to the cost, but needs to go back for more treatment and could be re-admitted.
The Australian Consulate had provided support, but could not help with costs, Ms Edgar said. Advisers suggested starting a GoFundMe page, which the couple has done.
Amelie's grandmother had flown with the child back to Perth, so she could go back to school while the couple waits for Mr Turner to be well enough to travel home.
Mr Turner had a serious fall while overseas.
But in the meantime, Ms Edgar said costs were building, at about $10,000 now. Perth Facebook group Perthling has taken up the cause, with founder Carmen Braidwood saying "really all these guys need right now is a little compassion and a helping hand."
Ms Edgar realises the couple took the risk of travelling without insurance cover for Mr Turner.
"It was Duncan's wish," she said.
"He wanted Amelie to have these special memories. We decided to go. We thought it would be fine."
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