Udhyam Amin, a 64-year-old from Kingswood in Surrey, was given just hours to live after developing sepsis following a roast chicken dinner at a pub. His recovery has been described as a "miracle" by his family, who now call him a "cat with nine lives."
Mr Amin went to A&E in February with suspected food poisoning after eating the meal. Doctors at St Helier Hospital in South London diagnosed him with campylobacter, the most common cause of food poisoning in the UK.
From cardiac arrest to intensive care
His condition deteriorated rapidly. He was rushed to the resuscitation room when his blood pH fell dangerously low and he suffered a cardiac arrest. Placed on a ventilator in intensive care, medics warned his family he had developed sepsis and might only have hours to live.
His daughter, Parisha Bains, a surgical registrar at Epsom and St Helier University Hospitals NHS Trust, said: "We were told he had gone into sepsis and multi-organ failure. Most of his critical organs had shut down. But he made it through the night and that wasn't expected."
She added: "It felt like our world had fallen apart. Nothing prepares you for hearing that the person you love may not make it through the day."
Campylobacter and the road to recovery
Campylobacter causes sickness, diarrhoea, tummy pain and fever, with symptoms appearing within a few hours or days of eating contaminated food. It usually resolves with rest and fluids, but in rare cases can lead to sepsis.
Mr Amin spent just over two weeks in an induced coma. After waking, he had to relearn to walk and speak clearly. His kidneys began working again, and he was gradually weaned off blood pressure support medication.
Ms Bains said: "His kidneys started to work again and he was gradually weaned off his blood pressure support medication, and from then things improved. It's nothing short of a miracle that he is still with us. We laugh and joke that he's like a cat with nine lives."
Back to work and raising awareness
Now fully recovered, the former subpostmaster turned businessman is back working seven days a week. Ms Bains recalled: "One of the first things he asked us when he woke up was what date it was because he had to submit his tax returns."
The family have launched a fundraiser for Epsom and St Helier Hospitals Charity to support the intensive care unit, raising £37,000 so far. Mr Amin is also sharing his story ahead of World Sepsis Day on September 13.
He said: "Words cannot express my gratitude for the exceptional care, compassion and dedication the medical teams showed me during the most difficult time of my life. Their skill and commitment saved my life, and I will be forever grateful. I cannot thank them enough for giving me a second chance."
Molly Simpson, head of charity and fundraising at Epsom and St Helier Hospitals Charity, said: "Udhyam's story is both remarkable and inspiring. We are enormously thankful to Udhyam's family for turning their gratitude into action by raising funds to support St Helier. Their generosity will help us enhance the environment, equipment and support available to patients and their loved ones when they need it most."
