Irukandji Sting
 Sting
victim's family cure
By MARTYN SHARPE
BRIT Tim Saxon was saved with a
revolutionary antidote developed by his COUSIN after being stung by a deadly
jellyfish.
Tim, 23, was paralysed within
minutes of being attacked while diving in Australia.
He looked set to die as his
heart rate fluctuated wildly from almost nothing to 160 beats per minute.
But docs decided to try a new
anti-venom on him as a last resort — and Tim responded immediately.
The next day Tim phoned his
Australian cousin Maya Stranivasan to tell her of his ordeal.
And he was astonished to learn
that marine biologist Maya, 30, had played a key role in developing the antidote
against the tiny Irukandji jellyfish. IT worker Tim, of Barnsley, South Yorks,
was visiting Queensland as part of a round-the-world trip.
His dad John, 52, said
yesterday: “If it hadn’t been for the new antidote Tim would have slipped away.
It’s thanks to Maya that he’s still alive. Maya’s been working on the project
for a long time — but Tim didn’t realise until he rang.”
Three holidaymakers — including
Brit Richard Jordan, 58 — have died in the past two years after being stung by
Irukandji jellyfish in Australia. Tim was diving on the Great Barrier Reef, 35
miles off the Queensland coast, when he was attacked.
John said: “The jellyfish just
brushed against his arm. It looked so beautiful that Tim was not worried — but
paralysis set in within minutes.
“Doctors thought they were going
to lose him.” Tim made a full recovery after three days in intensive care at
Cairns.
http://www.thesun.co.uk/article/0,,2-2003120293,00.html
The above article is from the Sun's website and was one of
the many bits of media coverage which appeared after my ordeal. Other
articles were in the Diver,
Cairns Post, Barnsley Chronicle,
Yorkshire Post, BBC
Online and many others.
If anyone wants to contact me then email me at
tim@timsaxon.co.uk
This site is © Copyright Tim Saxon 2004-2005, All Rights Reserved
site optimised by site-pro.co.uk
Steve's free web templates
|
