Raymond Derks

What started with mild flu symptoms, ended in hospitalisation on the intensive care unit in Cape Town, where Raymond fell into a coma and died only 10 days later

Raymond was 56 years old, Nicole’s partner and father of daughters Meike and Kimberly. Together they were looking forward to their last ‘family holiday’ now that the daughters were becoming too old to go on holiday with their parents. A wonderful tour in South Africa. 

Kimberly tells how her father Raymond was suddenly pulled out of life by meningitis.

On July 13, we left with the family and adherents by plane to Johannesburg. After an incredibly beautiful tour, we arrived in Franschhoek on July 28. The next day, the wine tram was planned. A unique experience. We all immensely enjoyed the beautiful weather that day while tasting delicious wines. The next morning, Raymond had a slight cold and felt a bit flu-like. It didn’t seem like anything to worry about. He felt well enough to drive us from Franschhoek via Stellenbosch to our final destination: Cape Town. 

When we arrived, he indicated that he was having a headache and decided to lie down on the bed. We went shopping because we hadn’t had lunch yet. My father came downstairs to eat a little bit. He went back to bed and suggested that we explore the city. He expected to be well enough the next day for all the other activities we had planned. 

He skipped dinner and was still complaining of severe headaches. Despite the painkillers, the pain would not go away. Because we thought he was having flu symptoms, my mother decided to sleep separately so as not to be infected. Around 1 a.m., she went to check on Raymond. She found him confused. He was muttering incoherently and said he hadn’t slept at all. When he went to the toilet, he almost collapsed. He had trouble keeping his eyes open. He felt extremely ill at that moment. 

My mother woke us up, and we decided to bring Raymond to the hospital. It took a lot of effort to get him dressed, and we had to carry him downstairs. In consultation with the hospital, we drove to the emergency room ourselves, as it would be faster than calling an ambulance. It was 2:30 a.m., and he was immediately taken away for a medical examination.

The doctor initially suspected malaria, because we had spent the night in Kruger Park. When it proved not to be malaria or pneumonia, meningitis was raised as a possibility. Out of precaution, he was immediately given antibiotics and a lumbar puncture was done. Later that evening, it was confirmed that it was indeed meningitis.

On the doctor’s advice, we left and returned to the Intensive Care Unit early the next morning. Upon arrival, we were told that it was a serious situation. My father had slipped into a coma and his condition was critical. It turned out to be bacterial meningitis. Possibly caused by a streptococcal bacterium, but that had not been confirmed at that time.

During the first few days, Raymond still responded to touch and pain stimuli, but later this response stopped. There were no neurological improvements. A CT scan showed visible damage to the brain stem. It was a life-threatening situation. The only little bit of hope we could cling to, was that his vital functions remained stable and he was able to regulate his breathing on his own. After 10 days of antibiotics and all that time in a coma, my dad was no longer able to breathe unaided. His vital functions were dysregulated. The doctor suspected that he had become brain dead. However, this could only be officially confirmed after the weekend.

This was quite unexpected for us, because his CRP levels had been constantly decreasing and his condition had remained stable throughout the week. We thought the antibiotics were effective. We only did not know to what extent the infection in his brain stem had caused brain damage. In complete disbelief, we decided to return to our accommodation and come back to the hospital the next morning, just holding up our last hope for a miracle. It soon turned out that his blood pressure and oxygen levels had dropped significantly, the doctor then confirmed once more to us that Raymond was dying. His vital functions were slowly fading away. On 11 August, in our presence, he passed away peacefully and with no pain.

Raymond’s loss came as a lightning strike out of the blue. Within 24 hours, our lives changed forever. The speed at which his condition deteriorated was incomprehensible. Only a short time before, we laughed together, made plans and enjoyed life.

By sharing his story, we hope to increase awareness about meningitis. This disease is insidious and often difficult to recognise. The initial symptoms resemble an innocent flu, but within hours the situation can become life-threatening. Every minute lost can mean the difference between life and death. That is why it is so important that both the public and healthcare professionals are alert to the signs of meningitis, and that more research is conducted into faster and better methods of diagnosis and treatment.