Kaspar Maeots: Father of two, 39, left paralyzed and unable 'to breathe on his own' after tick bite
SAAREMAA, ESTONIA: Kaspar Maeots, a 39-year-old father of two who was in perfect health, had a tough time juggling between his family's relocation and his job as a delivery driver. So, his family didn't notice when he flopped down on the sofa and fell asleep after yet another busy day.
However, he could no longer move half of his body when he awoke the next morning. He would soon be battling for his life after being unable to breathe. The reason was just one simple tick bite.
READ MORE
Nhung Truong: Footage shows Texas woman left paralyzed after being body-slammed by robbery suspect
David Miller: How dad-of-two got paralyzed and almost died after eating an exotic chicken curry
'My parents were shattered'
When Kaspar and his family were busy moving houses in Saaremaa, Estonia, back in August 2022, Brisbane man Kareel revealed details of the horrifying ordeal that engulfed his sibling and "best friend." "My brother had a big week working for his delivery business and trying to arrange everything to move into a new home with his family; two young boys,” Kareel said. “He was really tired, he fell asleep on the couch one night, and when he woke up in the morning, he couldn’t move half of his body.”
Kaspar's condition rapidly deteriorated once he arrived at the hospital. Following a diagnosis of tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) by medical professionals, Kaspar was put into an induced coma as his body started to fail. “They then flew him into the capital for better medical assistance, where they tried to get him out of his coma,” Kareel said. Then it was announced to Kareel and his family that their adored Kaspar would die soon. “We cried the whole day thinking about how to say goodbye,” he said. “My parents were shattered, it was all moving too fast, and our hearts couldn’t comprehend that Kaspar was no longer able to (breathe) because of a tick bite.”
As per 7News, Kaspar was ultimately transferred to a different hospital, where his situation miraculously stabilized. “Four weeks after Kaspar was induced, he slowly awoke to discover most of his body was paralyzed, and he had lost his ability to breathe on his own,” Kareel said.
A vaccine is available against TBE
“Intensive rehabilitation, involving specialists in neurology, occupational therapy, speech and language therapy, nutrition and neuropsychology, can help patients make the best possible recovery,” a paper published by John Hopkin’s Medicine suggests. The World Health Organisation warns TBE is a “serious, acute central nervous system infection which may result in death or long-term neurological sequelae in 35–58 per cent of patients”.
According to Dr. Stephen Doggett, head of Medical Entomology at NSW Health Pathology, the severity of symptoms affected how quickly TBE patients recovered. ”Some people will fully recover, while some will have permanent brain damage,” he said. “To avoid TBE an effective vaccine is available, which can be obtained through travel clinics and other medical practitioners. Vaccination is recommended for people who intend to walk, camp or work in heavily forested regions of affected countries between April and October when the ticks are most active.”
