Valley Fever gripped a Hawaii man’s life. Months later, he’s still fighting

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – A Hawaii household is warning others about Valley Fever as their son recovers from a extreme case that triggered critical problems.

Ten months in the past, Kahaone Kelau first confirmed indicators of Valley Fever.

He was learning in Arizona the place he seemingly bought contaminated, and was susceptible to seizures, meningitis, and debilitating strokes.

He’s persevering with his battle towards the fungal an infection on the Mayo Clinic in Arizona the place he spent his twenty first birthday.

Read a earlier report: Hawaii mom seeks help getting son critical care in costly health battle

At one level, he was in a coma because the an infection unfold all through his physique. Since then, he’s proven vital strides in restoration.

“We are working on his nutrition right now. It’s one of our biggest hurdles that we’ve been dealing with, and just trying to get him strong so we can get him back to rehab to focus on his stroke recovery,” his mother Laura Kelau mentioned.

While he’s getting stronger daily, his future still stays unsure.

“I don’t think he’ll ever be back to wrenching cars and being a diesel mechanic again, but the goal is to get him at least walking and talking again,” Laura added.

His household is sharing his story to warn different Hawaii residents who could also be unfamiliar with Valley Fever. It’s a fungus that may be discovered within the soil of southwestern states like Arizona and California, the place many younger Hawaii graduates usually head to school, like Kahaone did.

A respiratory an infection and a persistent dry cough are among the many most typical signs, however some circumstances could be extreme.

“The good news is that the overwhelming majority of people will not have the kinds of complications that unfortunately, Kaha has had to deal with, which occurs when the infection goes from outside the lung to somewhere else like the brain,” Dr. Marie Grill, a neurologist at Arizona’s Mayo Clinic, mentioned.

Dr. Grill says Pacific Islanders are among the many ethnic teams at greater threat of getting problems from Valley Fever. One of one of the best methods to guard your self whereas in areas the place the fungus is understood to exist is to remain indoors when mud storms roll via, or to cowl your nostril and mouth when there are excessive winds.

For Kahaone, his household is targeted on the subsequent steps, together with rehab and long-term care.

“I think Kaha has become such an inspiration to so many people back home. They’re watching his fight and we just thank you guys all for standing behind him,” Laura added.

To keep in contact together with his medical journey, Kaha’s Instagram can be found here. A GoFundMe to offset payments can be found here.