It is the phone call no mother wants to get – a call that informs you that your child has been stabbed while you're more than 2000km away across the Tasman.

But for one mum it became a reality when last Wednesday evening her sister broke the news that her 22-year-old son had been stabbed and was undergoing emergency surgery at Hawke's Bay Hospital.

The Hastings man, who did not wish to be named, had been enjoying his first night in a new flat on Riverslea Rd when two gang members jumped the fence and plunged an axe into his chest.

"It was a huge shock. He was a status one on the way to hospital," said the mother, who also did not wish to be named.

After finding out at 7pm Brisbane time, she frantically booked a one-way ticket to Hawke's Bay - only to discover first she had made a costly $700 error and then hours later while about to board her flight found out her son was now in Wellington.

"[The airline] charged another $354 when I realised I made an error - an error I made crying my eyes out and trying to see a screen. All up $700 one way. But an air hostess called Kelly was fantastic when she saw me sitting in my seat with my glasses on and still crying. She really looked after me."

She has not yet booked a return flight.

Her son sustained two broken ribs, a punctured lung, and a cut to his heart in the attack.

"The surgeon said to my sister that a little bit more force and it would have been all over and done with."

"At the end of the day it was probably only that the police officer was holding his chest together."

"I just can't believe that this kind of thing would happen to four kids who were minding their own business," she said, still in shock.

The young man was transferred to Wellington Hospital last Thursday because doctors were worried there could be more damage to his heart.

Fortunately, that turned out to be not the case.

"He has been on a lot of pain medication so once that's withdrawn I think the shock of actually what happened to him will set in," the mother said.

The son, who is originally from Hawke's Bay, returned to stay with his father about 18 months ago and had just moved out to the flat.

The mother is hopeful he will be discharged from hospital within the next day or two.

The three other flatmates have all moved out - and once the son is out of hospital he will be living with a relative.

"They don't want to go back there ... there's no way he's going back there."

Police said inquiries into the attack are ongoing. No arrests have been made.