Gavin Arulnayagam, 24, is currently in intensive care on a ventilator in the Philippines and undergoing costly treatment after contracting Guillain-Barré syndrome, a severe autoimmune disorder
Devastating holiday photos show how a British tourist on a ‘once-in-a-lifetime’ trip round Asia has been left fighting for his life after contracting a horror disease.
Gavin Arulnayagam, 24, was enjoying his time in the Philippines when he picked up an infection that developed into Guillain-Barré syndrome, a serious autoimmune condition which robs sufferers of their mobility.
The digital entrepreneur from Ilford, East London, is currently in intensive care on a ventilator, and is undergoing constant treatment at a hospital in the country just to keep him alive.
Gavin’s family, who have flown over to be at his bedside, and his girlfriend are providing constant care around the clock, as resources are stretched at the hospital.
He is still not able to swallow, walk or support his neck. Salvador Sanchez, who met Gavin last year and briefly lived with him in Thailand, told the Mirror he was shocked by what he saw when he visited his usually “very social” pal last month.
He said: “Seeing him in that bed, it was horrible.
“He was awake, and he recognised me, but he was not in a great position. He couldn’t really move at all, and couldn’t speak because he had a tube in his neck”.
Doctors say he will need to stay in hospital until he has fully recovered – and because he does not have travel insurance, the costs of his treatment are providing extraordinarily expensive for his family, approaching around £3,000 per day. A repatriation flight back to Britain would meanwhile cost between £200,000 and £300,000.
Salvador has now set up a GoFundMe campaign that aims to raise £100,000 to help Gavin’s family pay the bills, and has so far reached a total of just under £13,000.
