NRL legend calls for help to get newborn baby home
NRL legend Jesse Ramien and his partner Shell are pleading for help to get their newborn baby home after Shell's traumatic birth experience in Bali.
The Cronulla Sharks player and his wife travelled to Bali for a friend's wedding while Shell was 33 weeks pregnant, who was cleared by her doctor before their trip.
However, after just three days into their holiday, Shell went into early labour which quickly led to an emergency C-section, with mum under anaesthetic and baby boy Teo needing five minutes of resuscitation.
Baby Teo was rushed into a neonatal intensive care unit, with his parents not able to meet him until the day after he was born.
The family has been torn apart since with the parents still yet to hold Teo, who remains in an incubator, and older son Tallen returning home after Shell’s mother rushed to Bali to help.
It is not known when the family can return to Australia, as Teo's condition is still unstable.
“There’s just so much uncertainty here. We’ve been told by doctors it could be four weeks before our baby is okay to travel, but that could quickly change to five, six, or seven weeks, who knows,” Ramien told News Corp.
“We’re doing everything to contact the Australian embassy to see how we can get home both as quickly as possible, so that our boy can get the medical attention he needs.”
A family friend has set up a GoFundMe page to help the couple get home with their baby on an emergency flight, with $45,000 of their $100,000 goal already raised.
“I’ll play for nothing just to get our baby boy home safely,” Ramien said.
Shell, who received clearance from her obstetrician and the airline before travelling, ensured her pregnancy was covered by a top travel insurance package, however baby Teo’s medical costs — tallying more than $20,000 so far — are not included, while the total costs to get Baby Teo home could exceed $130,000.
Ramien has been sharing updates on Instagram, posting a picture of his new son with the caption, “Home soon my boy,” while Shell added, “Won’t be long my boy, we'll be home soon.”
Image credits: Instagram / GoFundMe