Udhyam’s miraculous journey after a roast chicken dinner left him fighting for his life
A roast chicken dinner at a pub left Udhyam Amin fighting for his life after he developed severe sepsis and multi-organ failure. Now, having made an incredible recovery, Udhyam and his family are raising more than £37,000 to support the Intensive Care Unit (ITU) at St Helier Hospital.
Udhyam, a 64-year-old former sub-postmaster and businessman from Kingswood in Surrey, became unwell after enjoying the meal and was taken to the Emergency Department at St Helier Hospital with suspected food poisoning.
He was diagnosed with the bacteria Campylobacter, a common cause of food poisoning, but doctors soon discovered that he was gravely ill.
Udhyam was rushed into a resuscitation room, where his blood pH fell dangerously low. Incredibly, at this point he was still conscious, chatting to his family and complaining of stomach pain.
But he quickly deteriorated and went into cardiac arrest. After being resuscitated by the emergency team, he was transferred to the Intensive Care Unit, where he was placed on a ventilator.
His family were told he was the sickest patient in the hospital and that he might not even survive the journey to ITU. He had developed potentially deadly sepsis and they were warned that he might have only hours to live.
Udhyam’s daughter, Parisha Bains, is a surgical registrar at Epsom and St Helier University Hospitals NHS Trust.
She 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.”
While his loved ones prepared for the worst at his bedside, the dedicated team in St Helier’s ITU worked tirelessly to save his life.
Doctors, nurses, healthcare assistants, physiotherapists and many others combined their expertise, compassion and determination to care not only for Udhyam, but also for the family standing beside him.
“It felt like our world had fallen apart,” Parisha said. “Nothing prepares you for hearing that the person you love may not make it through the day.
“They comforted us through endless uncertainty, answered every question with kindness, celebrated every tiny improvement with us and gave us hope when hope seemed impossible to find.”
Against all the odds, Udhyam survived
After spending just over two weeks in an induced coma, Udhyam faced a long and challenging road to recovery.
“His kidneys started to work again and he was gradually weaned off his blood pressure support medication, and from then things improved,” Parisha said.
“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.”
Udhyam had to learn to walk again, speak clearly and rebuild the strength that sepsis had taken. Every milestone, from taking his first steps to sharing a family meal, became a moment of celebration.
Today, he is back home with his family, enjoying life and working again.
Turning gratitude into support for St Helier ITU
To thank the teams who cared for Udhyam, the Amin family launched a fundraiser for Epsom and St Helier Hospitals Charity, in support of St Helier ITU.
The fundraiser has now raised more than £37,000 – an incredible show of gratitude from a family who know first-hand the difference the ITU team can make at the most critical moments.
The family hope the money raised will help benefit other critically ill patients and provide comfort and support to families going through their own difficult journeys.
Udhyam 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.”
“This fundraiser is our family’s way of saying thank you.”
If you’d like to support the Amin family’s fundraiser and help us make a difference for patients and families cared for by St Helier ITU, you can donate at www.justgiving.com/page/aminfamily
The family have shared their story ahead of World Sepsis Day on 13 September, which aims to raise awareness of sepsis and improve its prevention, diagnosis and treatment.
