Community rallies to get man home from Vietnam ward

After a stressful few weeks and a journey halfway around the world, a young New Zealand man is safe in a Hawke’s Bay hospital after being held in a Vietnamese psychiatric ward.

Ballad Woodley-Hanan, 25, suffered a severe episode of mania while overseas and was hospitalised last month. His father Dempsey Woodley rushed from Napier to be by his side while his mother Amanda Hanan set up a Givealittle to help with the cost of rescuing their son.

The Givealittle raised $27,995 to help bring Ballad back home. “I look back at the last three weeks and just think ‘what the f*** happened?’,” Dempsey said. “I’m walking around like a zombie at the moment but I’m so relieved that he’s somewhere safe getting treatment and his life is not in danger anymore.”

The flight was challenging, as Ballad’s medication began to wear off and he became more manic as the hours ticked by.

His mother Amanda told the Herald it was “a miracle” to have Ballad home.

“It’s just such a relief to know that he’s home and safe and just having him back is awesome.”

Dempsey is glad Ballad is back on New Zealand soil, and despite the poor conditions in the Vietnamese ward, he said the care Ballad received was amazing.

“I am genuinely grateful that there was somewhere that he could go in Vietnam and I’m genuinely grateful for the care and professionalism of the doctors and the nurses there, the conditions were appalling, but they’re so under-resourced and, but the medication itself that he was given was pretty progressive.”

Ballad has been hospitalised in a Hawke’s Bay psychiatric unit for further treatment, which Dempsey says is the best place for him to be.

He was also full of praise for the support of the New Zealand community, who raised almost $30,000 to help get his son back home.

“[We are] incredibly grateful and appreciative that New Zealand has gotten behind us. And that enabled us to get him home sooner.”