The Mirror reports:
Samuel Corria was left in a medically-induced coma after undergoing several emergency surgical procedures – he needs further operations to repair his skull
A teenage backpacker had to have part of his skull removed and was left in a medically-induced coma after a devastating road accident.
Samuel Corria underwent several emergency surgical procedures to relieve the pressure on his brain after the car he was in hit an irrigation pipe and rolled over at least four times.
The 18-year-old from Barry was working as a fruit picker in South Australia, reports Wales Online.
His family are now trying to raise funds to pay for the costs of his medical treatment, which includes £74,000 for the emergency surgery and £24,000 a month for the rehabilitation he now needs.
Samuel needs further operations to rebuild his skull and doctors say he will have to relearn how to use his left arm and how to walk.
His mother Sarah Milne has flown out to Australia to be at his bedside in Melbourne, where he was airlifted as the local hospital in Mildura, New South Wales, did not have the resources to provide the treatment he needed.
Speaking to an Australian news website before she flew out, Ms Milne said: “It’s an absolute nightmare – I just went into a panic and wanted to be with him so badly.
“He has my chubby cheeks and big brown eyes like his dad, and I just want to see them and hold him again – he couldn’t be further away.”
Samuel had taken a gap year after his A level studies nine months earlier to go fruit picking in Australia.
The accident happened on Easter Saturday in Dareton, New South Wales when Samuel was driving a sevenseater Mitsubishi Nimbus along Holland Lakes Road.
The vehicle left the road after hitting an irrigation pipe which caused it to roll over at least four times and come to a stop upside down in a drain.
A 21-year-old French student in the car with Samuel escaped with minor injuries before pulling him out of the car and ringing an ambulance.
Samuel was taken to Mildura Base Hospital where doctors removed a large part of his skull to relieve pressure due to a bleed on his brain.
The hospital was unable to continue his treatment, so he was airlifted to Melbourne Hospital where he was put in a medically-induced coma and medical staff operated on his left arm and a broken vertebrae in his spine.
His aunt Jane Williamson said: “We thought it was an April Fools. My sister Sarah was working away in Brean at the time.
“We were all at a family barbeque celebrating the fact that my father was free from cancer and her boyfriend rang me.
“The police had contacted him saying they needed to speak to Sarah about a delicate incident but they would not tell him what about.
“So he contacted me and I managed to get hold of Sarah and the police then told her about Samuels accident.
“This was horrific for my sister.
“She was told 80% of people with these sorts of injuries die or are left severely paralysed.
“So he is extremely lucky, but he has got a long way to go.”
Hospital staff have now moved Samuel to a rehabilitation centre in Melbourne where he will have to learn to walk and regain use of his arms.
He will need further operations in six weeks to reconstruct his skull after the swelling on his brain has subsided.
The rehabilitation centre costs £24,000 a month and the family also have to cover the £74,000 intensive care unit bill.
Jane said: “We are all worried because Samuel’s insurance lapsed three weeks ago and we are now facing a huge bill.
“We are hoping the NHS can help to cover the costs, and hopefully pay for Samuel to come home.
“I have tried to speak to the embassy but so far they said they cannot help.
“All of the family have joined together to raise enough money for my sister to fly out there.
“Samuel is great fun and well liked. He was extremely popular in St David’s Catholic College where he completed his A Levels.”
Samuel’s brother, Tremaine Hoffman has set up a Go Fund Me page to raise funds.
The site has already raised nearly £2,000.
The family have also been been offered £2000 from Barry based Jamie Adamson Memorial Charity.