A California man is fighting for his life after contracting a “mysterious” illness during a trip to the Philippines.
In early August, Armando Ramos, 53, left his home in Chula Vista, San Diego, to visit Manila, Philippines, following the death of his mother.
As he focused on funeral arrangements, the father of three — who had no known health issues — began experiencing flu-like symptoms, battling fatigue and a sore throat, according to ABC10 News.
Five days later, Ramos was rushed to the hospital.
The software engineer was initially diagnosed with pneumonia before being intubated and put on a ventilator.
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Armando Ramos.
GoFundMe
His condition continued to deteriorate, leading to collapsed lungs, inflammation in his brain, complications with his heart and liver and the early stages of kidney failure, according to his family.
Ramos tested negative for COVID and the flu, and his family was only told he had some type of respiratory infection. His daughters, Emma and AJ, admitted they “feel helpless” without any answers, likening it to the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“It’s a mystery right now… every day, we still don’t know what’s going on with him,” Emma told the news outlet. “It’s traumatizing, in the sense that when the pandemic first appeared, nobody knew what was going on. In a way, you are only treating the symptoms, but not getting to the source. That’s what I feel is happening right now.”
“It’s a cruel deja vu with the pandemic… Every day, anticipating his condition and not knowing, it’s scary,” AJ added.
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Doctors continue to test Ramos. Although he remains in critical condition, his family says he is showing signs of improvement with his kidneys and oxygen levels.
His daughters said he would likely be in intensive care for at least another two weeks, and their mother flew to the Philippines to be by his side.
A GoFundMe account, which has already raised over $20,000, was created to help cover medical expenses for Ramos and hopefully get him back to the United States.
“He’s so stubborn, he’s going to fight,” AJ told the paper, while Emma added: “We’re going to fight by his side.”
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Source: HIS Education