September 19, 2023 – Australian police officer Ella Cutler, who was seriously injured in August during her vacation in Dubrovnik, will soon return to her hometown for further treatment. The Dubrovnik General Hospital confirmed that the twenty-five-year-old woman is out of danger and that the family has decided to continue further treatment in Australia.
As Index writes, Ella Cutler suffered serious physical injuries after falling from the wall in Dubrovnik, between Nautika and Dubravka restaurants, as a result of which she suffered multiple fractures of the skull, spine and ribs. A 34-year-old man who was with the 25-year-old policewoman on the day also fell and ended up with serious injuries.
Hospital director: Ella Cutler is conscious and her life is not threatened
The man was operated on and cared for in the Traumatology Department, while the woman was in an induced coma for several weeks due to the severity of her injuries.
“The plan was to go to the Split hospital for a procedure by a maxillofacial surgeon and then return to our hospital. However, her family gave up on that request and decided to continue treatment in their country. Ella Cutler is conscious, her life is no longer in danger, and she received permission for medical transport that will happen on Wednesday or Thursday,” said director Marijo Bekić, who added that the patient is currently in the Department of Orthopedics and Traumatology.
Insurance does not want to cover the cost of treatment
Family members, speaking to Australian media, revealed they felt devastated because their insurance company told them they would not pay for hospital treatment and a flight home because Ella was drunk at the time of the accident.
“When we heard that the insurance company failed us, we were shocked. I can’t even describe what it was like. We never expected that the insurance company wouldn’t help us bring her home.
We don’t understand, and we’re really confused because the insurance company can’t even imagine how a family, or someone who has taken out insurance in good faith, would feel going through something like that,” Ella’s family told the Australian 7news.
It’s not all over yet, they filed a complaint, and the agent who deals with it has not yet told them how much alcohol in the blood invalidates the policy.
Ella’s family raised more than $500,000
Ella was measured at 3 per thousand in her blood, which is why the insurance did not want to cover her costs. Because of this, the family decided to launch a Go Fund Me campaign, in which they managed to raise enough money in seven days for this young policewoman to return to Australia.
More than half a million dollars were collected, which this family needed for medical expenses and transportation. The hospital’s medical costs will cost them about $100,000, and the rest will be spent on transportation, as her brother Joshua wrote on the campaign page.
“She will need many more months of care, more surgeries, and months of physical rehabilitation before she is able to impact the world like she once did.
The doctors who have taken care of her since her admission to the Dubrovnik hospital have been incredible, and we cannot thank them enough for their efforts to keep her alive. They understand the importance of moving her to a larger hospital with better conditions where she can receive the specialized care essential to her continued recovery,” her brother Joshua wrote.
During the seven days of the campaign, $519,630 was collected, and over 6,000 people donated. The largest donation was 10,000 dollars. Although the goal has been achieved, the campaign is still ongoing. Her brother pointed out that they have more donations coming that they will eventually donate to a charity according to Ella’s wishes.
“She hasn’t spoken out about any of this, and we thought this might be an opportunity for her to thank all the donors.”
The local police also published a video with Ella, which they wanted to help raise all the necessary funds.
