2 Sisters in Bali, 2 Broken Backs

On July 7th, Angelie and Lacey were walking down the main road in the small mountain village of Munduk, Indonesia. They heard a scream up the winding road, turned to look and were immediately hit off the mountainside by a family on a scooter who had lost control of their brakes.

Lacey recalls vividly catching air and her body slamming the rocky surface as they tumbled down the mountainside.

Suffering extreme back pain and shortness of breath, both Lacey and Angelie could tell their condition demanded medical attention.

Due to their remote location, they arrived at a local clinic, Tunguwisia General, where they were given some pain suppositories, all the clinic had on hand. They needed to be moved to another facility as Tunguwisia did not have an X-ray machine or IVs.

It took 9 hours to be individually taken to Parama Sidhi Hospital, where they finally received pain medication and x-ray scans.

At both of these facilities barely any of the staff spoke English and their injuries were hugely underestimated.

Family members and insurance were hung up on every time they tried to call the hospital, most likely due to the fact a foreign language was heard on the line.

When they finally received X-rays it was revealed both girls sustained multiple spinal fractures each, commonly known as a broken back.

Angelie has 3 spinal fractures. Two of them are burst fractures.

Lacey has 4 spinal fractures, 3 of them laying atop each other and 1 burst fracture on her tailbone with a retropulsion of a bone fragment that has gone into her spinal canal.

The hospital they were at requested they be moved to one of the two private hospitals on Bali with an MRI to determine the full extent of injuries and if surgery was required, another 2.5-hour ride to the other side of the island.

Transporting someone with burst fractures is typically discouraged, due to the risk of paralysis, but they had little option to receive the care they needed.

They arrived at Siloam Hospital in the early morning hours on July 11th. A hospital with AC, a welcomed surprise.

After days of evaluation, they don’t believe Angelie will need back surgery.

They have some muscle tearing and will be in the hospital for the next week at least to see how the progress will be monitored.

At this point they can barely move from a vertical position on their hospital bed without assistance. They need help with everything, even reaching for a drink of water.

They will have to continue their recovery for months beyond the hospital, wearing a back brace and restricting their movements to maintain a consistent position for their backs to heal.

The girls had been planning for this trip for a long time. Angelie just graduated high school with her associates and is prepared to start at the University of Utah on a scholarship next month. An avid hiker and aspiring photojournalist, Lacey wanted to explore both of those opportunities starting on the beautiful Island of Bali.

Unsure of what’s all ahead of them on this road to recovery, one thing is certain, they can’t do it on their own. They need care, love, and support from friends, family, and a community willing to help.