Brad Masters is sedated and on a ventilator in a Bali hospital. Photo: GoFundMe
On Christmas day, 2020, Brad Masters, a prominent surf photographer, was admitted to Siloam Hospital in Bali. He had an infection deep in his neck and subsequently underwent two major surgeries to clear it out. Things didn’t go well, however, and the infection spread. Doctors were forced to place him in a medically-induced coma. Now, over a month later, the infection has cleared. Masters, though, is far from out of the woods.
If you consume surf media, it’s very likely that you’ve seen at least a few of Brad Masters’ images. He’s been in the game for a long time, and it’s for a few simple reasons. He’s insanely talented and completely dedicated to his work. Masters has lived in Bali for years now, along with his wife and son, and works as a surf photographer and personal trainer. (Click here to see some of Masters’ work from a 2012 gallery.)
“Brad is still going to need ongoing surgeries, treatment, and rehab to get back on his feet and hopefully return to a normal life,” wrote the creators of a crowdfunding campaign to help Masters. “He remains in the hospital having spent most of the time in intensive care, heavily sedated and on a ventilator, due to his inability to breathe unaided and several other major life-threatening complications.”
So far, the medical costs are in excess of $75,000, a fee that’s increasing by $3,500 each day that Masters remains in the ICU on a ventilator. It’s likely that he’ll need to remain there for at least another month. And to top it all off, the insurance company is refusing to pay.
The creators of the GoFundMe are hoping to raise enough money to cover further medical treatment and an emergency medivac to get Masters back to Australia. The pandemic is compounding matters, making it impossible for his friends and family to be at his side.
