Renegades v Hurricanes: Match Highlights | 13:45<\/p>\n
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THE HAWAIIAN NIGHTMARE<\/p>\n
Following the completion of the 2023\/24 summer, Dooley embarked on a surfing holiday to Hawaii alongside partner Michael Wegener, travelling to the island of Kauai.<\/p>\n
But on April 16th, Dooley was driven to a nearby hospital after waking up in the night with severe headaches, the pain causing her to vomit and scream in agony.<\/p>\n
Scans revealed she was suffering from obstructive hydrocephalus, a rare neurological disorder caused by a build-up of cerebrospinal fluid in ventricles deep within the brain. Doctors would later discover a benign tectal glioma, a rare tumour that had been growing above her brain stem, blocking the ventricles.<\/p>\n
Needing urgent medical evacuation to Honolulu, where she could receive treatment from professional neurosurgeons, Dooley was rushed in an ambulance to the airport but suffered a major cerebellar stroke after being moved onto the plane, causing takotsubo cardiomyopathy and pulmonary oedema, forms of heart and lung failure.<\/p>\n
With her situation deteriorating, Dooley was removed from the plane, but after spending three hours fighting for life on the tarmac, emergency doctor Spencer Smith helped organise a second flight that safely transported her to Honolulu.<\/p>\n
Dooley was successfully transferred to the Queen\u2019s Medical Center in Honolulu, where she underwent two neurosurgical procedures and a tracheostomy. By this stage, her distraught parents had arrived in Hawaii.<\/p>\n
Details of the life-threatening incident were outlined in an award-winning feature from former teammate Kirby Short<\/a>, who was entrusted with telling Dooley\u2019s story, which had been closely guarded by her family for several months.<\/p>\n Josie Dooley in the hospital.Source: Instagram<\/p>\n 93 DAYS IN A HOSPITAL BED<\/p>\n The first few weeks of Dooley\u2019s recovery were gruelling. She spent 18 days in ICU following her surgery, during which she experienced night terrors and paranoia while struggling with dizziness and vertigo. <\/p>\n It took her weeks to regain basic bodily functions such as eating, speaking and using the bathroom, while she still can\u2019t remember her first 13 days in the ICU.<\/p>\n After 30 days in Honolulu, Dooley\u2019s condition had improved enough for her to fly home to Brisbane, medically evacuated to Royal Brisbane and Women\u2019s Hospital for further treatment. In total, she went 26 days without speaking, 35 days without eating and 52 days without walking independently.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m extremely lucky,\u201d Dooley told Fox Cricket.<\/p>\n \u201cMy parents and my partner were with me, so I wasn\u2019t on my own for those 93 days, so I had such incredible support. They kept me motivated.\u201d<\/p>\n While the rehab experience was traumatising for her loved ones, Dooley has fond memories of the recovery process, where every day she noticed gradual improvement.<\/p>\n \u201cComing from a sporting background and being an athlete, it probably was a lot easier for me in those rehab stages because I just thought of it like a pre-season,\u201d she explained.<\/p>\n \u201cEvery day you\u2019re getting huge milestones, so I actually really loved being in rehab and working towards all these goals.<\/p>\n \u201cI was achieving such huge things in such a small amount of time that it kept me really motivated. I actually struggled more when I got out of hospital because you don\u2019t have all that structure around you and the routine.\u201d<\/p>\n Josie Dooley during her recovery.Source: Instagram<\/p>\n \u2018DON\u2019T F*** IT UP\u2019: INSPIRED RENEGADES<\/p>\n Dooley, who represented Australia\u2019s Under-19 team during her teens, was an integral member of the Renegades after making her debut for the club in 2019. Across 74 WBBL games, she scored 847 runs at 20.17 with a strike rate of 107.08 while taking 31 catches and completing 13 stumpings.<\/p>\n The Hawaiian ordeal understandably sent shockwaves through the squad, with some members visiting her in hospital in Brisbane, but her courage and resilience became a source of inspiration for the Renegades ahead of their 2024 season.<\/p>\n Dooley\u2019s jersey hung up in the Renegades dressing room for every match of last summer\u2019s Big Bash, including the final. On the kit was written: \u201cDon\u2019t f*** it up.\u201d<\/p>\n After topping the standings, the Renegades defeated the Brisbane Heat in a rain-affected final at the MCG to win their maiden WBBL title. Dooley was on the bench for the entire match.<\/p>\n During the post-match presentation, Renegades coach Simon Helmot gave his winner\u2019s medal to Dooley, draping it around her neck in the sheds.<\/p>\n \u201cIt was so amazing to be in the change room and be at the ground at the MCG. It was such a special night, one I\u2019ll never forget,\u201d Dooley recalled.<\/p>\n \u201cTo be there and be a small part of it was just so amazing to witness.\u201d<\/p>\n Twelve months earlier, the Renegades had received the dreaded wooden spoon following a miserable 2023 campaign, with just two wins from 14 matches. It was a dramatic turnaround for the club.<\/p>\n \u201cWinning that first title just gave them all the confidence and belief that they can do it, to be able to win and feel like winning is a habit,\u201d Dooley continued.<\/p>\n \u201cOnce we got that first title, I think the girls have so much more confidence this year and are just backing their abilities.\u201d<\/p>\n Josie Dooley with the WBBL trophy in the MCG changerooms.Source: InstagramJosie Dooley with Renegades teammates Georgia Wareham and Sophie Molineux.Source: Instagram<\/p>\n BLURRY VISION AND A \u2018CONSTANT DEAD ARM\u2019<\/p>\n Eighteen months following her near-death experience, Dooley is still on the mend, but a sense of normality has returned to her life. She has moved out of home, living with Michael and their dog, while at the start of this year she went surfing for the first time since her Hawaii trip.<\/p>\n \u201cThat was one of the huge goals of mine, to go out on my own and catch waves independently,\u201d Dooley said.<\/p>\n \u201cIt was so surreal to be back on the water. I feel like only surfers understand how amazing it is to be in the water and to paddle out and catch some waves.<\/p>\n \u201cI never thought I would do that again, so to do that was quite emotional, actually.\u201d<\/p>\n Dooley\u2019s vision continues to progress, but she currently isn\u2019t allowed to drive due to her nystagmus, an eye condition caused by a disrupted connection between the brain and eyes.<\/p>\n \u201cIt was pretty terrible, but it\u2019s definitely gotten better,\u201d Dooley said of her eyesight.<\/p>\n \u201cMy eyes just keep jumping up and down. They don\u2019t stabilise. It just makes focusing on an object really difficult and a bit blurry. <\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re hoping that it improves.\u201d<\/p>\n Dooley\u2019s other main impairment is her left arm, for which coordination and fine motor skills have improved drastically, especially considering she couldn\u2019t lift a mobile phone with it 12 months ago. However, the loss of sensation remains a source of frustration.<\/p>\n \u201cI guess I\u2019m just used to it now,\u201d Dooley said.<\/p>\n \u201cIt almost just feels like a constant dead arm.\u201d<\/p>\n Her cerebellum, which synchronises voluntary movements such as balance and coordination, was also affected by the stroke, further impairing her coordination.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen I\u2019m a bit fatigued, I get a bit wobbly on my feet,\u201d Dooley added.<\/p>\n \u201cLiving in Queensland, with the weather at the moment, makes those symptoms flare up a bit more.<\/p>\n \u201cBut compared to where I was, I feel amazing.\u201d<\/p>\n Josie Dooley embraces Sophie Molineux before a WBBL match between Brisbane Heat and Melbourne Renegades in October last year.Source: Getty Images<\/p>\n \u2018PRETTY TERRIFYING\u2019: TWO-OVER CAMEO<\/p>\n While a return to professional cricket in the short term is unfeasible, Dooley made an unexpected appearance for Sturt last month, serving as a substitute fielder for two overs in a T20 match in Adelaide.<\/p>\n After one of the Sturt players got injured during the warm-ups, former teammates Emma de Broughe and Sam Betts asked Dooley if she was willing to help out in the field.<\/p>\n \u201cThey ended up putting me at point and mid-wicket, which was pretty terrifying,\u201d the wicketkeeper laughed.<\/p>\n \u201cBut it was unreal to be back on the field with them. It was not planned, but I was really proud of myself.<\/p>\n \u201cObviously it was a huge goal of mine, so to have done that now is really special.\u201d<\/p>\n The ultimate goal for Dooley is to play cricket again, but apart from the 12-ball cameo, she has only attempted a few net sessions since her stroke. If everything goes to plan, she hopes to make a return to grade cricket next summer.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s a bit difficult to be on a cricket field with a hard ball coming at you when you can\u2019t see very well,\u201d Dooley said.<\/p>\n \u201cHopefully I can try some new medications and see if that helps my vision. Obviously I want to be safe doing it, so I don\u2019t want to push it too hard.<\/p>\n \u201cI will listen to my body, but at the end of the day, I\u2019d love to get back out there.\u201d<\/p>\n Josie Dooley with her Sturt teammates, who took a cardboard cutout of her to every game last season.Source: Instagram<\/p>\n \u2018TRICKY\u2019 JOURNEY TO BRISBANE 2032<\/p>\n Since June, Dooley has been training three days a week with the Queensland Academy of Sport\u2019s para athletics unit alongside other disabled sportspeople. After undergoing testing from the Queensland Institute of Sport, it was decided that her impairment and abilities were suited for shot put and table tennis.<\/p>\n \u201cThey just assumed cricket would correlate to throwing, so that\u2019s how I ended up in shot put, (while) I played a lot of tennis before cricket,\u201d Dooley elaborated.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m loving training in both and just being part of the para unit and training with so many incredible athletes who have a shared experience going through something quite traumatic. It\u2019s been really cool to be a part of a high-performance program again.\u201d<\/p>\n Provisionally classified in the F36 category, Dooley competed in her first para athletics meet in Brisbane earlier this month, putting her on track to feature in the 2027 World Para Athletics Championships. Her best attempt during the event would have been enough for her to secure a bronze medial at this year\u2019s world championships in Delhi.<\/p>\n However, she hopes to eventually get transferred to F34, a seeded category that would allow her to compete at the Paralympics.<\/p>\n \u201cThe para system is a bit tricky, it\u2019s quite hard to get all the classifying,\u201d Dooley explained.<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s obviously the goal, to make the Paralympics, even to compete at Brisbane, at a home Olympics. It sounds pretty incredible.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019d love to be there in LA (in 2028) as well. We\u2019ll just have to see how it all falls, I guess.\u201d<\/p>\n Josie Dooley with speech therapist Ashley in Honolulu.Source: InstagramJosie Dooley with speech therapist Ashley at the \u2018stroke-iversary\u2019.Source: Instagram<\/p>\n SURPRISE APPEARANCE AT \u2018STROKE-IVERSARY\u2019<\/p>\n Dooley remains in touch with Smith, who refused to take no for an answer as her situation worsened in Kauai. He\u2019s one of many people credited with saving her life.<\/p>\n \u201cHe actually sent us a Christmas card last year, which was so lovely,\u201d Dooley said.<\/p>\n In April, Dooley celebrated her \u2018stroke-iversary\u2019 by hosting a Hawaiian-themed party for friends and family in Brisbane. Multiple Renegades teammates attended, along with the physios and nurses that aided her during the recovery process. Speech therapist Ashley travelled from Honolulu for the occasion.<\/p>\n \u201cThe last time she saw me, I wasn\u2019t even able to sit up in bed,\u201d Dooley said.<\/p>\n She added: \u201cIt was a really special night. I wanted it to be a celebration. I didn\u2019t want it to be a sad day.<\/p>\n \u201cI wanted to just thank everyone who got me through those horrible, horrible days.\u201d<\/p>\n The Renegades will next face the Perth Scorchers at the WACA on Tuesday.<\/p>\n You can follow Dooley\u2019s recovery on her @wave2recovery<\/a> Instagram page<\/p>\n