Teenager left fighting for her life after ear infection on idyllic Greek holiday
Millie Bayles, 19, now remains in intensive care at an Athens hospital after jetting out on a sunshine holiday to the island of Rhodes.
Her family said she first noticed symptoms of an ear infection – but it turned into something much more serious.
Millie, who comes from North Wales, was diagnosed with bacterial meningitis – leaving her family with a AU$82,000 bill to get her home.
She was moved 480km from the island to intensive care in the Greek capital.
The teenager, who is said to be out of immediate danger, remains in a semiconscious state.
Mum Lauren Murphy and stepfather Pete flew out to be by her side as doctors battle to get her well.
Millie unfortunately failed to take out travel insurance when she went with friends for the summer break.
Her mum has now received a quote for tens of thousands of dollars to pay for her medical bills and bring her back to the UK.
Lauren has been left no choice but to turn to the public for help to pay for her treatment – which includes a private medical emergency flight.
The family have reached their AU$82,000 target on their appeal with more than 900 donations from family, friends and even strangers – and hope to get Millie home soon.
Lauren said: 'We are now at the stage where we can look to bring Millie back to the UK.
'She is out of immediate danger, but she has a long road to recovery ahead of her.'
'She is still only semiconscious, and we have yet to see how badly this illness will have affected her brain in the long term.
'Unfortunately, due to being an invincible young person, Millie neglected to take out any holiday insurance, and so we have to fund her medical flight home privately.
'We desperately need help to get our girl back to her home country so she can continue her recovery process.'
Stepfather Pete Murphy said: 'I am so overwhelmed by the immediate generosity of all of you lovely people and plenty that are certainly not on my friend list.
'Myself, Lauren and Millie are so grateful for your kind donations. Millie has got a long battle ahead but she certainly has a lot of people routing for her and we can't thank you enough for that.'
Meningitis is an infection of the protective membranes that surround the brain and spinal cord (meninges).
It can be very serious if not treated quickly – it can cause life-threatening sepsis and result in permanent damage to the brain or nerves. Symptoms typically include a high temperature (fever), being sick, a headache, a rash that does not fade when a glass is rolled over it (but a rash will not always develop), a stiff neck, a dislike of bright lights, drowsiness or unresponsiveness and seizures (fits).
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
News.com.au
4 days ago
- News.com.au
Teenager left fighting for her life after ear infection on idyllic Greek holiday
A British teenager holidaying on an idyllic Greek island has been left fighting for her life after an ear infection turned into a nightmare health battle. Millie Bayles, 19, now remains in intensive care at an Athens hospital after jetting out on a sunshine holiday to the island of Rhodes. Her family said she first noticed symptoms of an ear infection – but it turned into something much more serious. Millie, who comes from North Wales, was diagnosed with bacterial meningitis – leaving her family with a AU$82,000 bill to get her home. She was moved 480km from the island to intensive care in the Greek capital. The teenager, who is said to be out of immediate danger, remains in a semiconscious state. Mum Lauren Murphy and stepfather Pete flew out to be by her side as doctors battle to get her well. Millie unfortunately failed to take out travel insurance when she went with friends for the summer break. Her mum has now received a quote for tens of thousands of dollars to pay for her medical bills and bring her back to the UK. Lauren has been left no choice but to turn to the public for help to pay for her treatment – which includes a private medical emergency flight. The family have reached their AU$82,000 target on their appeal with more than 900 donations from family, friends and even strangers – and hope to get Millie home soon. Lauren said: 'We are now at the stage where we can look to bring Millie back to the UK. 'She is out of immediate danger, but she has a long road to recovery ahead of her.' 'She is still only semiconscious, and we have yet to see how badly this illness will have affected her brain in the long term. 'Unfortunately, due to being an invincible young person, Millie neglected to take out any holiday insurance, and so we have to fund her medical flight home privately. 'We desperately need help to get our girl back to her home country so she can continue her recovery process.' Stepfather Pete Murphy said: 'I am so overwhelmed by the immediate generosity of all of you lovely people and plenty that are certainly not on my friend list. 'Myself, Lauren and Millie are so grateful for your kind donations. Millie has got a long battle ahead but she certainly has a lot of people routing for her and we can't thank you enough for that.' Meningitis is an infection of the protective membranes that surround the brain and spinal cord (meninges). It can be very serious if not treated quickly – it can cause life-threatening sepsis and result in permanent damage to the brain or nerves. Symptoms typically include a high temperature (fever), being sick, a headache, a rash that does not fade when a glass is rolled over it (but a rash will not always develop), a stiff neck, a dislike of bright lights, drowsiness or unresponsiveness and seizures (fits).
ABC News
11-07-2025
- ABC News
Weeks after a ceasefire with Israel it is unclear how many Australians remain stuck in Iran
Frances is overjoyed to have survived war, a medical emergency and arduous journey through Iran to get home for the school holidays. "I can't believe it. I'm so glad, I'm so happy," the 70-year-old Sydney woman told the ABC before taking her grandchildren to the pool this week. Frances was one of thousands of Australians who had registered with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) crisis portal after Israel launched strikes on Iran in mid-June. In the country for the first time in a decade to visit her sisters, Frances took DFAT's advice and made the perilous overland journey to the Iran-Azerbaijan border hoping to cross to safety. Instead, Azerbaijan officials said she needed a visa and a special code — and knocked her back. While she waited for days at the border, Frances's heart medications ran out and she was forced to travel further back into Iran to seek medical attention. Frances, who has worked as a healthcare worker in NSW for 40 years, told the ABC that she had pleaded with DFAT but they were "not really helpful". "I asked them: 'Please, I need help. This is happening, this is my situation'. A few times I called them," she said. "When I am sick myself and I can't get my medication ... honestly I can say they didn't care." Eventually Frances, whose asked the ABC not to use her full name due to ongoing security concerns shared by other Iranian-Australians who spoke for this story, did make it back to the land border crossing. She was finally able to pass into Azerbaijan and make the journey to the capital, Baku, from where she flew home via Dubai on a flight her daughter had booked from Australia. While Frances made it out of Iran, it is unclear how many Australians and their families remain there more than two weeks after the US brokered a ceasefire between Iran and Israel. Some 3,200 Australians and family members in Iran had registered with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) crisis portal as of June 26. Just days after Israel began bombing Iran in mid-June, DFAT evacuated its staff from Tehran to Azerbaijan. "The government has a responsibility to ensure the safety of our staff," Foreign Minister Penny Wong said at the time. In an update provided on July 1, DFAT said more than 50 Australians had left Iran via the land border with Azerbaijan and another 150 had received codes to cross the border. The ABC this week asked DFAT for an update on the crisis portal registration figure and how many Australians had successfully left Iran, with or without DFAT assistance, but the department did not respond. The ABC understands that the Australian government has managed to secure seats on commercial flights out of Iran, with 57 Australians having departed the country via this arrangement. There are more than 85,000 Iranian-born people living in Australia, according to Home Affairs. Since the war between Iran and Israel began, Iranian-Australian Sherry has been worried for her husband Ali's safety. Sherry said Ali, an Australian permanent resident, travelled to Iran in April to care for his father who has cancer. "I'm really concerned about how my husband could get back here to Australia and join us," she said. Sherry registered Ali with the DFAT crisis portal. But because of Iran's regime-enforced internet restrictions it has been difficult for Sherry and her husband to communicate, including about DFAT advice. The internet was drastically slowed and, in some cases, blocked entirely by Iranian authorities for days at a time during the war with Israel. Even after the ceasefire, people in Iran and external monitors have reported the internet being cut off. For example, on July 6, global internet watchdog NetBlocks reported a nationwide outage that lasted two hours, without any explanation from authorities. Ali has now secured a flight out of Mashhad airport, in Iran's north-east, at the end of July. The situation has deeply affected the couples' daughter, who is completing her final year of school in Sydney. The 17-year-old was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder when the family first moved to Australia about five years ago. "My main priority was human rights, especially for women," Sherry said, explaining why they migrated. "Honestly, women are never respected in Iran, from the regime, never, ever." US President Donald Trump and Israeli officials have suggested Iran could be targeted again if Tehran resumes efforts to develop a nuclear weapon. Deakin University professor of Middle East politics Sharam Akbarzadeh said he was not optimistic the ceasefire would hold, given Iran had committed to rebuild its nuclear facilities. "The Israeli side has a commitment to destroy Iran's nuclear facilities and ultimately bring down the regime in Iran," he said. Since the war began, the regime has ramped up arrests and executions of those it accuses of posing a threat to the Islamic Republic. "Post-conflict situations must not be used as an opportunity to suppress dissent and increase repression," a statement from UN experts said earlier this month. "Iran must not allow history to repeat itself by resorting to the same dark patterns of repression that have devastated its people in previous post-conflict periods." Several Iranian-Australians who spoke to the ABC said they hoped for a more democratic Iran. But personal safety remained everyone's priority, Professor Akbarzadeh said. "When the bombs are falling on Tehran, they have more immediate concerns like their own safety, than to worry about changing the government." Iranian officials said at the end of June that 935 people were killed in the country during the 12-day war. Israeli strikes against Iran killed key military figures, including several of the country's highest-ranked military officers, as well as scores of nuclear scientists. The United Nations has said hundreds of Iranian civilians, including women and children, were also killed.
ABC News
10-07-2025
- ABC News
Brain surgery, motorbike crash inspire Wheatbelt mums' RFDS charity run
When Ash King came home sick from school complaining of a headache, the last thing her family expected was for the teen to be diagnosed with a bleed on the brain. Without the fast response from the Royal Flying Doctor Service (RFDS), who flew her the 170 kilometres from Moora to the Perth Children's Hospital, her mum Kym Reilly believes she may have died. "As we got off the plane and into the hospital, Ash had her first seizure, and if we had still been in Moora, I don't know what would have happened," Ms Reilly said. Scans revealed Ash, who was 15 at the time, had an arteriovenous malformation that had haemorrhaged and needed to be removed from her brain, leading to multiple surgeries, including one lasting 26 hours. During 11 months in hospital and another six undertaking rehabilitation, Ash, with the support of her family and medical team, re-learned how to walk and talk. For Moora teacher Erin McPherson, an afternoon of motorbike riding in December turned into a rescue mission when her son Gus failed to return to the group. The 10-year-old had ridden into a gate and broken multiple bones. "When we found Gus, we didn't know the extent of his injuries; all we knew was it was serious," Ms McPherson said. "When the ambulance arrived, we were met by four local volunteers who were our guardian angels that night, who kept that hope alive that Gus was going to be okay. "Not only were they keeping Gus safe, but they were doing it for us as well; they're heroes." Originally united by their passion for local netball, Ms Reilly and Ms McPherson have now used their shared RFDS experience to create their own fundraiser for the service. The Heroes to Hub event will see more than 160 participants run, walk, ride a motorbike or even a horse 26 kilometres from Newhome Farm to the Mogumber Hub in Western Australia's Wheatbelt this weekend. "Ash and Erin were having a bit of in-house banter about if Ash could endure 26 hours of surgery, Erin should be able to run 26 kilometres," Ms Reilly said. "We call ourselves lucky because we had the best medical support in a time that no-one would call lucky or want to be in." Ms McPherson said the 26-kilometre run put Ash and Gus's experiences into perspective. "I never really linked Gus and Ash's stories together before, but we're inspired by these two beautiful, strong children who showed resilience through the challenges they faced," she said. "Not only are we raising funds for the RFDS, but it is a way for us to give back to our community who rallied around us and our kids during some of the hardest times of our lives. "It was the phone calls, hospital visits and meals from people back home that made all the difference during those times – they are also heroes to us." Gus will be riding his motorbike along the event course, while Ash will join a group of her friends from school for the last 3-kilometre leg to the Mogumber Hub. It is not just locals getting involved, with a nurse who looked after Ash during her time in hospital taking part from Africa. "Pip was my very favourite nurse in the whole world," Ash said. "She now volunteers in Magacascar on the Mercy Ship and will run 26 kilometres there because she had the honour of caring for me." Ash is now completing Year 12 and dreams of working as a nursing assistant, idolising the team who cared for her during her time of need. Gus is completing his final year of primary school and is back on the bike and kicking goals for his local football team. With an original fundraising goal of $26,000, the event has surpassed organisers' expectations with donations exceeding $65,000 just days out from the run.
