Melbourne Renegades and South Australia wicketkeeper Josie Dooley’s holiday to Hawaii took an awful turn when she suffered a stroke and required medical evacuation, spending 18 days in intensive care after surgery.

Dooley suffered a “serious medical incident” as a result of hydrocephalus, an abnormal build-up of cerebrospinal fluid in cavities in the brain, causing pressure.

An avid surfer who once said she would have considered going professional if those skills had matched her cricket ability, Dooley suffered the stroke on the Hawaiian island of Kauai on April 15 and was flown to Honolulu for urgent treatment.

After surgery, she spent 30 days in hospital on the island before her condition improved sufficiently for her to fly home to Brisbane, where she is continuing her recovery.

Dooley, a 24-year-old Queenslander, has been a core player for the Renegades for four years and also moved to Adelaide to play for South Australia.

“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,” the South Australian Cricket Association said in a statement.

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“Once she was fit to fly, Josie was medically evacuated to her home town of Brisbane where she was readmitted to hospital. 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 Dooley family request privacy at this time.”

Since relocating to SA for the 2020-21 season, Dooley’s star has risen steadily as a young keeper. Over 74 Women’s Big Bash League matches, she has contributed 847 runs at 20.17 and a strike rate of 107.08 while claiming 31 catches and completing 13 stumpings.