An Australian fitness influencer has revealed she is struggling with memory loss and difficulty maintaining conversations after contracting a potentially life-threatening brain infection during a holiday in Bali. Khiana Smith, 23, has spent more than a week in intensive care as she battles meningitis, pneumonia and fluid on her lungs.
The Gold Coast-based fitness creator and online coach had been travelling through Europe for two weeks before arriving in Bali for a week-long getaway. However, what was supposed to be a dream holiday quickly turned into a terrifying medical emergency after she suddenly became seriously ill.
Smith told news.com.au that she never expected to find herself fighting for her life in a foreign hospital. The 23-year-old said she initially woke up with an excruciating headache so severe that she could barely get out of bed.
Khiana Smith Suffers Memory Loss After Contracting Meningitis in Bali
Her symptoms quickly worsened, with Smith experiencing extreme head pain, dizziness, slurred speech, blurred vision and intense sensitivity to light. An attempt to manage her symptoms with an intravenous drip at her villa failed to ease her condition, prompting a doctor to call an ambulance and have her rushed to Bali International Hospital.
Influencer Khiana Smith in ICU with Life-Threatening Brain Infection During Bali Vacation https://t.co/XSqdUDWmXf
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Medical staff diagnosed Smith with meningitis, an infection that causes inflammation of the protective membranes surrounding the brain and spinal cord. She was also diagnosed with pneumonia and fluid on her lungs, leaving her bedridden in intensive care for more than a week.
Doctors have reportedly been unable to establish the exact source of the infection, with several possibilities being considered, including contaminated food, swimming water or exposure to an infected passenger during a flight. Bacterial meningitis can be particularly dangerous because it can progress rapidly and become life-threatening without prompt medical treatment.
Bacterial Meningitis
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However, the illness has also taken a significant toll on Smith's memory, with the influencer revealing that she is struggling to remember things and maintain conversations. 'I have lost a lot of memory, like I really struggle to remember things,' she told the publication.
Her family remains hopeful that the memory problems will be temporary. Smith received antibiotics within hours of arriving at the hospital, with her mother, Cass Smith, believing the prompt medical attention may have saved her daughter's life.
Cass flew to Indonesia on the first available flight after learning that her daughter was fighting for her life.
Influencer's Mother Praises Bali Hospital Staff After Emergency
Cass described the experience of having her daughter seriously ill thousands of kilometres away as one of the most frightening experiences imaginable. 'There is nothing more terrifying than knowing your child is fighting for her life in a foreign country and you're thousands of kilometres away, unable to hold her hand,' she told news.com.au.
Despite the challenges of navigating a foreign healthcare system and a language barrier, the family praised the Indonesian medical staff for their care. Smith underwent a CT scan and was connected to an antibiotic drip within hours of arriving, a response her mother believes 'probably saved her life'.
The family also revealed that medical staff had attended to Smith within 10 to 15 minutes whenever her condition seriously deteriorated. Her mother said the level of attention had exceeded what they typically experienced in Australian hospitals.
Khiana Smith Unable to Fly Home as Doctors Monitor Brain Swelling
Smith is desperate to return to Australia, but doctors have not yet cleared her to fly because of swelling on her brain. Concerns about cabin pressure mean she must remain in Bali until medical staff consider her well enough to travel.
There has been some encouraging news, however, with Smith revealing in a more recent update that she was feeling slightly better and had managed to get out of bed and walk for the first time in more than a week.
Her family hopes she will receive clearance to fly in approximately a week, allowing her to cut short her travel plans and return to the Gold Coast to recover. For now, the priority remains stabilising her condition and monitoring the neurological complications caused by the infection.
The ordeal has also served as a frightening reminder of how quickly a seemingly healthy person can become seriously ill while travelling. Smith's family remains hopeful that she will recover without permanent damage, although her longer-term prognosis remains uncertain.
