Melbourne Renegades and South Australia wicketkeeper-batter Josie Dooley has spoken on the ‘terrifying’ ordeal of how she spent 18 days in an intensive care unit after she had suffered a stroke whereas on trip in Hawaii.
She and her companion had travelled to the island of Kauai to surf in the course of the low season in April of this 12 months earlier than the gifted cricketer started to expertise insufferable complications.
She had attributed the ache to jetlag and the after-effects of a Hen get together she had attended within the days earlier than she left, however issues shortly turned extra severe.
‘I used to be getting these bizarre rushes of strain, actually aggressive. Then it might cease, so I wasn’t actually pondering a lot of it,’ she stated in an interview with Channel 7.
After waking up at 3am with the ache persisting she went to the emergency room the place she was despatched dwelling with an data sheet about migraines.
However the ache persevered into the early hours of the morning with Dooley stating that it was so unhealthy that she could not see. She was re-admitted to hospital and her situation began to worsen.
Josie Dooley has opened up on her inspiring restoration after she suffered a stroke whereas vacationing in Hawaii
Dooley and her companion Michael Wegener have been on vacation within the tropical island when Dooley started to undergo extreme complications. She would subsequently be admitted to hospital
Her companion, Michael Wegener was given the information that Dooley had hydrocephalus, a situation the place extra cerebrospinal fluid builds up round an individual’s mind.
‘It was principally fluid on the mind, so there was a blockage. We did not know on the time and we came upon later, so she had a benign tumour which prompted an obstruction,’ Dooley’s mum, Leanne, stated to Channel 7.
Dooley was set to be transferred to Honolulu however issues turned way more severe earlier than the flight might take off.
‘I used to be on the airplane able to take off after which that is after I totally crashed. That is after I had a stroke and went into coronary heart and lung failure,’ Dooley stated.
She was stabilised by docs, with Dooley subsequently being transferred to Honolulu on the subsequent flight.
The 24-year-old was taken straight to hospital the place she underwent a process to empty the fluid on her head.
‘I keep in mind, mum was by my bedside and I keep in mind I used to be holding her hand. I used to be simply so scared,’ Dooley stated.
Though she could not communicate whereas she was within the ICU, she stated: ‘In my head I used to be like: “I’ll die.” I keep in mind saying: “Goodbye” and saying: “I like you.” It was simply terrifying.’
The Melbourne Renegades star mirrored on the ‘terrifying ordeal’ earlier than opening up on her dream to return to the cricket pitch
Dooley spoke out on studying stroll once more, including that she requested her mother and father to convey her cricket bat into hospital in order that she might apply her batting
She additionally impressed her Renegades team-mates to their huge bash title, with the group hanging a her jersey up within the dressing room for the ultimate
Twenty-eight days later she was flown again to Australia the place she would start additional remedy, together with studying stroll once more.
‘I knew stroll, however my mind and my physique simply could not… I did not know the place the bottom was,’ she added.
However with cricket being such an enormous love of hers, Dooley had requested her mother and father to fetch her cricket bat from dwelling so she might apply hitting pictures in hospital, together with her dad holding her up.
‘I feel at that stage, I used to be like: “Why not attempt to dream to get again to skilled cricket”. I am somebody who may be very goal-driven.’
Whereas she had been unable to play on this 12 months’s WBBL, Dooley nonetheless performed a component in uplifting her Renegades team-mates to win this 12 months’s title.
Her shirt had been hung up within the MCG altering rooms forward of their closing conflict towards Brisbane Warmth, with Dooley having written ‘do not f*** it up’ on the entrance of the shirt.
Renegades captain Sophie Molineux known as Dooley ‘the guts and soul of the group’ earlier than branding the wicketkeeper-batter ‘inspirational’.
‘She’s simply every thing that the Renegades are about, it’s Josie to a tee,’ she stated. ‘She’s so inspirational, not simply to us that know her, however to anybody that is aware of her story.
‘For her to be as concerned as a lot as she could possibly be this season for us, simply to have her presence and being round, she’s simply as a lot part of this season as every other season she’s been round.’
Her restoration has been a very inspiring story, with Dooley now focusing on a return to the cricket pitch.
