Keven B. Guiraldo

This is a story of my 22-year-old brother Keven who lived in the Philippines with my family. Last year, he got a plantar wart removed in the outpatient public hospital. After 3 days he developed a high fever, chills, severe abdominal pains, and skin rashes. My dad accompanied him back to the public hospital because we don’t have the money for private institution. So he got admitted to the public hospital, had very low platelet count and the doctor diagnosed him with Dengue fever, related to insect bites.

The public hospital unfortunately lacks the facilities to do the best outcome for the laboratory tests. My brother had given only a dextrose infusion at his bedside and gut vitamins as per doctors order. After 3 days of staying there, he got worse and worse. Cognitively, he couldn’t identify his family members and was talking nonsense. My dad made a decision to transfer him to the private hospital. But before that, my family needed a big amount of money as a down payment so he would be accepted in the other hospital. My sister had to borrow somewhere because the hospital needs an instant cash for him to get in to the ER.

So my brother did get to the ER. He was very confused and in so much agony, in pain. His test results came back and liver functions ALT/SGPT result of 6,000. There, the doctors said that it was SEPSIS. They gave him antibiotics, irrigated his stomach through lavage, performed venous cut downs because he is suffering from hypovolemic shock. The doctor asked my family to transfer him to the ICU, but the hospital needs another a large amount of money for payment so he will be admitted to the intensive care. Unfortunately my family couldn’t have that huge money in time.

Very sadly and depressingly, my family watched my brother’s final hours as he bled from his eyes, nose, ears, and arm from the cut down, as he gasped in air when he breathed and fought for his life. The doctors said we can do nothing that time but to accept because it was very late and the bacteria was already all over his system.

This June 18th, is my brother’s first year death anniversary. Still I am very emotional when I think and talk about what he had been through with sepsis.

Source: by Michelle Brioso (Keven's sister)