A motorbike crash threatened to derail a student’s final year of school – and a footballer’s future – until urgent MAF flights made treatment possible.
For 19-year-old Cristiano Monis Martins, his year was meant to end with graduation. A Year 12 student from Maliana, Timor-Leste, Cristiano was preparing for his final exams when a routine trip with his best friend, Vincencio Cardoso, ended in a serious accident.
“We were going to repair a phone,” Cristiano said. “On the way back, another motorbike overtook a car without indicating. Everything happened so fast.”
As the bikes converged, Vincencio jumped off. Cristiano lost control.
“Both motorbikes went under the car,” he said. “That moment I didn’t feel anything. I was unconscious.”
The impact left both young men badly injured. Vincencio, a keen footballer, suffered a severe injury to his upper thigh. Cristiano sustained serious leg injuries and was left traumatised.
“The accident was very bad,” Cristiano said. “That’s why I had to be transferred with a plane.”
MAF and the ambulance team arranged an urgent transfer for Cristiano and Vincencio from Maliana to Dili, aiming to spare them a three-hour ambulance ride over uncomfortable roads.
That afternoon, however, poor weather closed in over the hills, with cloud covering the most direct route to Maliana. To avoid the terrain, pilot Ping Domtta followed the coastline instead.
Around 18 kilometres from Maliana, the weather deteriorated further, forcing him to orbit while assessing whether it was safe to continue.
After discussing the conditions with the accompanying nurse, Ping prepared to turn back.
On a second attempt, a small break appeared in the clouds, and he carefully steered the aeroplane through the gap and landed safely in the national capital, Dili.
Both patients required transport in a lying-down position, meaning the aircraft could carry only one patient at a time.
“I felt bad that I couldn’t take both of them at once,” Ping said. “I wasn’t sure if the weather would allow me to go back for the other one.”
Thankfully the second flight was smooth.
“At the end of the day, I felt very satisfied,” he said. “We were able to transfer both to where they could get treatment.”
For Cristiano, the 22-minute flight made all the difference.
“If it weren’t for the MAF plane – and I had to come by ambulance or car, I would rather just choose to die in Maliana – because there was no way I would reach Dili alive by road,” he said.
Vincencio shares that gratitude.
“I feel grateful for the MAF plane,” he said. “I would not be good without the MAF plane.”
Cristiano’s sister, Arsenia Martins De Jesus, heard the news from a distance.
“When I heard he went under the car, I was shocked,” she said. “When I first saw him, I couldn’t recognise him. He had lost so much blood. His face had changed and my heart was broken.”
She travelled to Dili the next day.
“When I heard he came with MAF plane, I was very happy,” Arsenia said. “It was quick, and he could receive medical treatment straight away. The national hospital was the only option appropriate for his condition.”
Cristiano’s father, Francisco Monis De Jesus, said the family leaned on faith while waiting for a miracle.
“I was very sad,” he said. “I believe we live and die according to God’s plan. When I heard he was transferred with a plane, I felt relief, because he would receive treatment quickly and there would be more family members to help him in Dili than in Maliana.”
Cristiano expects to remain in hospital for about two more weeks. His family supports his education through farming.
“We have a rice field, and during rainy season we work there,” Cristiano said. “We also plant vegetables and chilli to eat and sell, to pay for school fees and our other needs.”
Now recovering, Cristiano is hopeful he can still complete his final exams.
“After I recover, I will take my final exam in Year 12,” he said. “I feel so much better now.”
With road condition still a concern, he hopes his journey home will also be by air.
“I would like to go back with a plane because of the road conditions.”
For two friends whose futures were suddenly interrupted, the medevac flights meant hope, treatment, recovery, and the chance to keep chasing their dreams.
STORY / MARY DOMTTA PHOTOS / MATT PAINTER & PING DOMTTA