The parents of a young Australian found seriously injured under mysterious circumstances overseas say they are working tirelessly to bring him home.
Discovery in Lombok
A fisherman discovered an unconscious Jaxen Day, 23, lying in the middle of a road in Lombok, an Indonesian island east of Bali, in late April. Neither Jaxen nor his bicycle, which was found next to him, showed any external damage.
"It's a mystery of what happened," his father Allan Day told 7NEWS.com.au. "We just don't know."
Internal Injuries Only
Jaxen was turned away by two medical clinics before a third accepted him and placed him on a saline drip. Concerns escalated when he failed to regain consciousness, prompting a social media appeal to locate anyone who knew him.
Fortunately, someone from the hostel where he was staying recognized him, and a staff member stayed with him overnight while he underwent life-saving brain surgery.
Jaxen's parents were contacted and rushed to be by his side at a hospital in Mataram City.
"The neurosurgeon said the injuries were totally internal — there's no external trauma," Allan said. "They said it was like someone got in and shook his head absolutely furiously."
Jaxen also suffered a broken collarbone that was initially missed. He had not regained consciousness by the time his parents arrived in Indonesia, but doctors captured the moment he finally opened his eyes and spoke his name on video.
The right side of his body — from his eyelid down to his leg — was paralyzed, but a month later, doctors report positive improvements. His cognitive abilities are also recovering, though he does not remember how he was injured while traveling alone.
"He's making progress," Allan said. "At first he didn't know where he was, didn't know us."
Financial and Logistical Challenges
Jaxen did not have travel insurance, and medical expenses are accumulating. His parents, both retired, are working around the clock to arrange his return home.
They hope he will soon be well enough to fly commercially to Bali and then to South Australia, where he will be transferred to Royal Adelaide Hospital.
Once home, Jaxen faces at least 12 months of rehabilitation.
"Jaxen is a quiet and determined young man who is kind, caring and compassionate," his friend Luka Jackway said in a GoFundMe campaign launched to assist the family. "He is motivated and independent, recently completing his studies to teach English as a foreign language. Jaxen has been travelling throughout Asia with the intention of teaching in Cambodia as his next venture. Jaxen's family and friends are desperate to get him home and support him on his difficult recovery ahead."
