An AFL star was rushed from Bali to Perth for urgent and life-saving lung surgery after an off-season holiday turned into a hellish ordeal.
North Melbourne forward Paul Curtis has detailed the terrifying ordeal where he came down with a serious case of pneumonia while travelling with teammates in Europe then had a severe reaction to antibiotics he was given while on a long-haul flight from London to Indonesia.
The 22-year-old father was then rushed to a Bali hospital before he was medi-vacced to Perth — the nearest Australian city — and operated on at Hollywood Hospital to remove dangerous fluid around his lungs.
Sign up to The Nightly’s newsletters.
Get the first look at the digital newspaper, curated daily stories and breaking headlines delivered to your inbox.
By continuing you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy.
Curtis received what one leading Perth doctor described as “reprehensible” treatment at a hospital in London and was then allowed to take an 17-hour flight after telling emergency staff he could not breathe.
He had been turned away from the hospital after reporting he felt as if he was suffocating, only to return the next day.
In Bali, he was eventually diagnosed with an empyema — a potentially deadly build-up of fluid on the lungs — and after being given more medication, was rushed to Perth.
A litre of puss was removed from around his lungs and Curtis spent eight more days in hospital.
Remarkably, he is still a chance to play in the Kangaroos’ first game of the season on March 15.
The young gun opened up on the horror trip and his recovery and return to football in an exclusive interview with 7NEWS.
“I waited eight hours to get seen (at a London hospital). I went up to the front desk and I said ‘guys I can’t breathe’,” Curtis said.
“I finally got seen and they just gave me some stronger meds and I was in there for 10 minutes and they said ‘you’re all good’.”
Curtis had dramatic swelling around his face and feet — which meant he was unable to walk — and came down in a serious rash as a result of an adverse reaction to the antibiotics.
“I just swelled up, like my face just puffed up. I had a rash all over my body, my feet swelled up so I couldn’t walk,” he said.
Paul Curtis with his swollen face and feet. Credit: 7NEWS/7NEWS
When Curtis arrived in Perth, he was rushed off the tarmac to the Nedlands hospital and operated on immediately.
“(This was) a serious, very serious, life-threatening illness and he could have died from this,” Dr Clay Golledge said.
The infectious disease specialist slammed the treatment Curtis received while in London, which he claimed had put the footballer’s life at risk.
Curtis in hospital. Credit: 7NEWS/7NEWS
“He was then told he was OK to get on a plane and fly to Bali with oral antibiotics and that was reprehensible in my opinion,” Dr Golledge said.
“The level of care he was given at this hospital was incredibly sub-standard.
“This was a serious life-threatening illness and he could well have died if he didn’t get urgent medical and surgical attention when he got here.”
Curtis was rushed from Bali to Perth for urgent and life-saving lung surgery. Credit: 7NEWS/7NEWS
After the surgery, Curtis looked gaunt in the face, to the point where “you could see all the bones in my cheeks”.
He “couldn’t walk more than 50 metres without getting tired and having to have a rest”.
But he has now returned to training with his North Melbourne teammates and is still in the mix to face Port Adelaide in their season-opener.
He said his focus through it all was three-year-old son Elijah and being healthy enough to care for his family.
He also paid tribute to the doctors that saved his life.
“I knew I had to be healthy first to obviously provide for him,” Curtis said.
Paul Curtis with his son. Credit: 7NEWS/7NEWS
“It’s given me a good perspective on life I guess and how quickly things can change and some things just aren’t in your control.
“I’m just so grateful for the people that helped me to get back to where I am now.”
