AN idyllic holiday with friends to celebrate finishing the HSC has ended with an 18-year-old Redhead man fighting for his life in a Bali hospital.
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Lawson Rankin is in a critical condition after falling from a scooter last weekend while on a schoolies trip to Bali.
His parents - Phil and Therese Rankin - said Lawson had recently graduated from St Francis Xavier's College and was celebrating the end of school with his friends.
But at 4am on November 30, they woke to a "devastating" phone call.
"It was every parent's nightmare phone call," Mr Rankin said.
"We were both in shock, and still are."
The family said Lawson had sped up on his scooter to try to catch a local driver who had snatched his friend's phone when the accident occurred.
His friends, following behind, noticed his scooter lodged deep inside a concrete drain filled with water.
Using the light from a phone, they said they found him unconscious inside the drain, face-down, and drowning.
His helmet had split open in the accident.
His head was covered in lacerations.
They lifted him out and started performing CPR while they waited for an ambulance.
His family had rushed to Bali to be by Lawson's side.
But he is yet to wake up.
Lawson suffered a brain haemorrhage, and has been fighting an infection from the water in the drain.
He also had 20 stitches for his head wound.
"Right now it is an inches game," Mr Rankin said from Bali.
"We are taking it scan by scan and waiting for Lawson to become conscious. We have had slow improvements of minor movement, but are yet to know the extent of the brain injury until Lawson wakes up.
"From there we have been told it may be up to 12 months of rehabilitation."
The family has been paying for his "substantial" treatment.
Despite having travel insurance, Lawson did not hold an international license required to ride a motorbike, meaning his extensive medical costs are not covered.
"The bills are already over $30,000 for a few days in an international hospital, and he may not be able to travel for weeks, so this will continue to rise," Mr Rankin said.
"Once there is clearance to get him onto a plane, it's expected a Medevac flight to Sydney and transfers to Newcastle could be more than $100,000."
We are taking it scan by scan and waiting for Lawson to become conscious... We need to bring him home.
- Phillip Rankin, Redhead
A fundraising campaign to bring the popular young rugby league and touch football player home raised more than $100,000 within 24 hours.
"Lawson is an amazing young man who impacts every person he meets," Mr Rankin said.
"He is a kind, caring leader, a talented sportsman, and one of the high achievers in his year. He is just so outgoing, his people skills are so amazing - that is why he has such an array of different friends in his life.
"I believe our community in Newcastle are everything. We get behind each other, and right now my family need Newcastle's support, prayers and good will - and that is being heard."
Lawson had plans to travel or begin further study after school.
His family said he had been considering studying medicine or engineering.
Mr Rankin said while they have an "incredible team" of doctors in Bali, they desperately want to bring Lawson home - closer to his family.
"We want the best possible chance for his recovery, and we know that is in Australia," he said. "We need to bring him home."
Lawson's family said they would be "eternally grateful" for the heroic actions of his friends who acted so swiftly to save him after the accident.
"The support this week has been so overwhelming, we are so thankful for the boys who saved his life, and the love and the support for our son streaming from Newcastle and beyond," they said.
To lend your support, search for the Bring Lawson Home fundraiser on Go Fund Me.