Doctors told Aaron Clark that they ‘don’t have many people come back from as far as you did’
A fit and healthy dad who dismissed his symptoms as a ‘nasty cold’ was plunged into a weeks-long coma and nearly lost his life after contracting the flu. Aaron Clark, 42, transitioned from resting in bed to being rushed to intensive care with multi-organ failure within just four days.
The garage owner endured 16 days in an induced coma at Kings Mill Hospital, in Sutton-in-Ashfield, Nottinghamshire , coming perilously close to death. Unvaccinated Aaron also relied on a ventilator for breathing support and a dialysis machine due to his kidneys failing to function properly.
Now, the father-of-three, who has no underlying health conditions, has pledged to get his first ever flu jab and is encouraging others to follow suit. Recalling his ordeal, Aaron, from Sutton-in-Ashfield, said: “One of the first things I remember when I came round was a doctor saying to me ‘well done, we don’t have many people come back from as far as you did’.
“I had a really close call. I’d never had the flu before – in fact I’d barely even had a cold and hadn’t needed to visit my GP since 2017. It was a shock just how serious it can be and how quickly everything escalated – from thinking I might stay in bed for a little while to being whisked off in an ambulance and put to sleep.
“It shocked a lot of my family, friends and colleagues when they heard that flu was the reason I’d been so unwell and out of action for four months.”
Aaron started feeling under the weather in December last year, experiencing symptoms similar to a common cold but didn’t think much of it. However, after visiting his GP, it was discovered that his blood oxygen levels were alarmingly low at 72 per cent, far from the normal range of 95-100 per cent.
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He said: “I felt not quite right on the Saturday. On the Monday and Tuesday, I was in bed with what felt like flu symptoms. On the Wednesday, I had what I thought was a rash on my skin, which prompted my partner Alix to ring 111 and they told me to go to the GP.
“When I got to the GP my blood oxygen levels were 72 per cent. The reading was so low that the doctor tried three different monitors because they thought the equipment wasn’t working properly.
“Within a few hours I went from thinking I had a nasty cold to being in an induced coma and on a ventilator in intensive care. I didn’t appreciate how serious flu could be.”
Ward leader Phaedra Kay, who was part of the team looking after Aaron, commented: “Aaron had multi-organ failure when he came to us and he was very seriously ill. He’s a fit and well gentleman normally and he developed a very serious type of flu, which can be extremely life-threatening for some patients.”
Respiratory consultant Dr Mark Roberts also noted: “While influenza is a mild illness for most people, it can cause severe illness and can be life-threatening, especially in the elderly and others who are vulnerable.
“Having the vaccine often reduces symptoms if you are affected by the virus. The vaccine is very effective at preventing the spread of the virus within the community. This helps us to protect our patients and families.”
Flu jabs are free for those most at risk, including elderly people, young children, expectant mothers and people with certain health conditions. They are available at GP surgeries, community chemists and school vaccination programmes.