An American tourist and travel blogger has suffered serious injuries after crashing a motorized scooter July 30 in Bali, Indonesia.
Kaitlyn McCaffery, a California native, was found “unconscious, broken and bleeding” on the side of the road by two young men, according to a GoFundMe page set up Saturday by friends of the woman’s family.
She is currently in a coma and being treated at a hospital in Denpasar, Bali, for traumatic brain injuries, facial fractures and “multiple other serious injuries,” according to the fundraising page.
“She is receiving all of the care the Bali hospital can provide, for which we are all grateful,” Bob Stolebarger, a friend of Kaitlyn’s family said in a video on the GoFundMe page. “And she is stable. Everyone so appreciates Kaitlyn’s friends in Bali who are taking turns at the hospital 24/7.”
On the page, the family wrote it has been challenging to communicate with hospital staff due to the “immense” language barrier.
“Kaitlyn is fighting for her life!” the family added.
The Indonesian government has denied the McCaffery family’s repeated requests for an emergency visa to visit Kaitlyn due to COVID-19 travel restrictions, according to Fox News.
Also, despite purchasing international travel insurance, Kaitlyn’s insurance company has refused to pay the cost to evacuate her to California, according to the GoFundMe. (RELATED: Officials Reveal Cause Of Death For Social Media Influencer Whose Naked Dead Body Was Found On Side Of The Road)
Now at a standstill, her family is asking for donations to fly their daughter back to California and continue her treatment. The GoFundMe page set up Aug. 7 has raised over $227,000 of the $250,000 fundraising goal as of early Monday morning. Stolebarger said the outpouring of support “renews our faith in the goodness and generosity of people everywhere.”
The family pledged on the page to dedicate 100% of the money raised toward evacuating Kaitlyn and relocating her to a trauma center in northern California. Any leftover funds will be donated to a nonprofit that assists patients with traumatic brain injuries and their families.
Stolebarger says Kaitlyn is a “special person” with a zest for life and adventure. She has visited over 50 counties and has friends “all over the world.”
In Dec. 2020, Kaitlyn began an online business with her friend Ellie called Sunfara, which sells fair trade accessories. According to the company’s official Instagram, their goal was to create a travel product line that gives back to the community and alter “people’s relationship to manufacturing.”
The account has documented their journey of getting the business up and running and moving to Bali together. One post from July 18 had a photo of the two girls on scooters, saying it was their new form of transportation to work.
“This is how we will get all around Bali and we absolutely love it!” the caption read alongside five “rules of the road.”
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On her personal Instagram, Kaitlyn goes by @FearlessTravelers , and posted an homage to her new home just hours before the scooter accident.
“Two months in Bali!” she wrote. “Loving where I live, the people I have met so far, and the warm warm air. So happy to call this place home.”
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The post is now accompanied by dozens of well wishes and prayers for Kaitlyn in the comments.