An Australian professional mixed martial arts (MMA) athlete is fighting to save his leg from amputation in a Brisbane Hospital, after flying home from Thailand under medical escort.
This story contains graphic images.
Tim Schultz, a 29-year-old from Brisbane, had recently travelled to train for two years in Thailand, known for its world-class MMA programs, with aspirations to compete in the UFC.
A friend and training partner in Brisbane, Damien Brown, said weeks into the trip, Mr Schultz fractured his leg while training.
He sought medical attention when it quickly developed into a haematoma, or severe bruise.
Instead of his condition improving, the bruise formed into a small abscess and three days later he was put into surgery.
Mr Brown said medical staff had removed the skin from Mr Schultz's foot to his knee after they discovered that an infection had eaten away at tissue in his leg.
"He was unable to hold a conversation, he was basically word scrambling, it didn't make a lot of sense, he couldn't really talk," Mr Brown said.
Mr Brown said a group of Mr Schultz's friends found an Australian doctor on holidays in Thailand who volunteered to go and check on his condition.
He discovered the Thai medical staff had been treating Mr Schultz for the wrong infection.
"He's at a real risk of losing the leg at a minimum, currently the infection has gone from his foot to the lymph nodes in his groin and his leg is swollen all the way up," said Mr Brown.
Mr Schultz's friends raised enough money that he could fly home on commercial flights this morning under medical escort with the Australian doctor and a paramedic.
He is now awaiting treatment in a Brisbane hospital.
A recent post on Mr Schultz's social media said the situation had "escalated" and he was in a critical but stable condition, at risk of losing "his life or limb".
Career and life's passion at risk
Mr Schultz had been training in MMA for eight years, he has a purple belt in jiu jitsu and was known as a fearsome boxer.
"He competed most recently in March and won, there was a very real possibility that Tim could've been three or four wins away from a big international opportunity on a large promotion," said Mr Brown.
"One look at the photo tells you he's going to need a skin graft at the least, it's very likely his fight career is over," he said.
Mr Brown is also worried about the long-term impact the last eight traumatic days has had on Mr Schultz's mental health.
"It's a long road ahead," he said.
Mr Schultz forked out $8,000 on his first three days in the Thai hospital.
His friends then raised $15,000 for his flights home.
