Man in disbelief as brother fights for life after flu-like symptoms

First published on

By Shilpy Arora

An Auckland man is fighting for his life after developing a life-threatening condition within days of what started out as a sore throat and mild fever.

Otherwise fit and healthy, Neeraj Ramachandran, 36, travelled to India in July to take care of his sick father.

In August, he came back and developed flu-like symptoms.

His doctor gave him medication for a throat infection but it didn't help.

Within two weeks, he was admitted to Auckland's North Shore hospital and remains in intensive care fighting complications from a rare, life-threatening condition.

His brother Nirmal Ramachandran said "bubbly" and "happy go lucky" Neeraj travelled all the way to India weeks before he was admitted to the hospital.

"Raj [Neeraj] went to India for a medical emergency. Our father was taken to the ICU and nearly lost his left leg."

The father contracted a flesh-eating bacteria posing a risk to his left leg, Nirmal said.

"Raj nursed him [the father] back to health until he could stand again."

Nirmal said his younger brother had no major symptoms when he returned to New Zealand.

"The day he flew back [to New Zealand], he complained about being in a bit feverish. We thought it must be a normal flu or a tummy bug.

"He went to the doctors who gave him medicine for some throat infection.

"Things just went downhill from there. He started getting shivers and cold."

Neeraj was taken to the hospital on August 16, his brother said.

"His [body] temperature was really bad. His heart rate just went over the roof. His blood pressure just went out of control.

"He couldn't breathe properly so they [the doctors at the hospital] rushed him to HDU [high dependency unit]."

Neeraj was in an induced coma and received treatment for typhoid fever.

"He is on IV fluids, tube-fed, and connected to a ventilator."

"The doctors told us he has something called as HLH [Hemophagocytic Lymphohistiocytosis]"

Hemophagocytic Lymphohistiocytosis or HLH is a rare and often life-threatening condition caused by excessive immune system activation.

The condition can trigger immune system to produce too many cells. These cells can attack the body and make a person seriously ill, which can be life-threatening.

Nirmal said he was heartbroken when doctors told him to call the parents to say "goodbye" to his younger brother about three weeks ago.

"I am not prepared to lose a loved one in my family.

"We do not know when he will recover and the doctors have not provided a time frame.

"He is my young lad. It is the first time I have seen him sick.

"You can't think of it even in your weirdest dreams that mild fever can turn into this. It has been a nightmare."

Nirmal thanked his brother's employers for the support.

"They [the employer] said they will keep the role open for him when he comes back from hospital even though it's going to take a while for him to get back on his feet.

"They even paid us one month salary. That was a huge, huge relief for us."

Nirmal started a Givealittle page to raise funds as his brother battles on in hospital.

Neeraj moved from India to New Zealand in 2014.

Qualified as a petroleum engineer, he worked as a courier driver in the past and recently got a job with a power company as a line mechanic.

- Stuff