Marigold Jessie McCallum, four, is in intensive care after falling from a treehouse during a family holiday in Bali – she was rushed to hospital before being airlifted to Australia
A four-year-old girl is fighting for her life after falling from a treehouse on a family holiday.
Marigold Jessie McCallum suffered a skull fracture and bleeding on the brain after tumbling from the structure in their rented villa in Bali. She was rushed to hospital for emergency surgery, which included releasing the pressure on her brain, before being flown back to Adelaide, Australia. She remains in intensive care with her parents, Carly and Nick, by her side. Marigold’s aunt Sophie has launched a GoFundMe page to help support the family and praised the little girl’s “incredible fighting spirit”, revealing that she had previously battled the odds after being born prematurely.
She wrote: “On a recent family holiday to Bali, Marigold fell from a tree house at the villa we were staying at resulting in a fractured skull and bleeding on her brain.
“Marigold underwent surgery in Bali to alleviate pressure on her brain and has now been airlifted back to Australia where she remains in ICU in the Women’s and Children’s Hospital in Adelaide.
“Goldie isn’t a stranger to hospitals as it’s where she spent the first 100 days of her life after she was born at just 25 weeks. Goldie has an incredible fighting (and feisty) spirit and is the bravest little soul we know, but she has a long road ahead to recovery.
“Lucky for Goldie, she has the most doting and dedicated parents in Nick and Carly who will be there holding her hand the whole way.
“This experience has and will continue to take its toll on Nick and Carly on so many levels and they are going to need a lot of love and support to get through this.
“Goldie isn’t a stranger to hospitals as it’s where she spent the first 100 days of her life after she was born at just 25 weeks.”
The GoFundMe page has now raised more than $66,000 AUD (£30,000) out of a $90,000 (£42,000) target.
One tribute from Northern Areas Netball Association, of which mum Carly was a member back in Australia, read: “The netball community extends its deepest support to Carly and Nick McCallum following a tragic accident to their daughter during a family holiday in Bali.
“A Gofund Me page has been created to help support their family and any contribution would be greatly appreciated to support them through this tough time.”
Bali – an island province of Indonesia – is one of the most popular foreign holiday destinations among Australian tourists, with 1.5 million people estimated to make the trip across each year.