Dooley suffered a stroke while on holiday and had emergency surgery in Honolulu before being airlifted to Brisbane where she remains in hospital
Josie Dooley suffered a stroke while on holiday in Hawaii • Getty Images
Melbourne Renegades and South Australia wicketkeeper-batter Josie Dooley is in hospital in Brisbane after suffering a stroke while on holiday to Hawaii which left her in intensive care for more than two weeks.
Dooley, 24, was on vacation on the Hawaiian island of Kauai in April when she suffered a stroke. The South Australia Cricket Association released a statement on Monday detailing Dooley’s condition.
“On 15 April Josie was on the Hawaiian island of Kauai when she suffered a stroke as a result of hydrocephalus and was required to be air lifted to Honolulu to receive urgent neurosurgical treatment,” the statement said.
“Following surgery, Josie remained in the neurosciences ICU of the Queen’s Hospital in Honolulu for 18 days before progressing to a neurosurgical ward where she remained for a further 12 days.
“Once she was fit to fly, Josie was medically evacuated to her hometown of Brisbane where she was readmitted to hospital.”
Hydrocephalus is a neurological disorder caused by an abnormal build-up of cerebrospinal fluid in the ventricles (cavities) deep within the brain.
“Josie is making progress in her recovery and would like to thank her family, friends and teammates for their love and support over this challenging time,” the statement continued. “The Dooley family request privacy at this time.”
Her WBBL club, Renegades, added: “Like many in the Australian cricket community, the Melbourne Renegades are thinking of our beloved team member, Josie Dooley, as she faces her current health battle.
“Josie is a much-loved member of our playing group and a favorite with our fans. We see her strength, dedication and spirit during the WBBL and we know this will guide her through this challenge.”
Dooley plays for South Australia in the WNCL competition and for Renegades having started her WBBL career in her hometown with Brisbane Heat in 2018-19 where she played nine matches. She has gone on to play 65 matches for Renegades in the WBBL.
She also started her WNCL career with Queensland in 2018 as a teenager before moving to South Australia ahead of the 2020-21 season. Dooley has represented Australia at Under-16 and Under-19 level and played Australia A. She also played for the Governer-General’s XI against England in 2017.
Alex Malcolm is an associate editor at ESPNcricinfo
