A BRITISH student died for 25 minutes during serious surgery due to a “silent killer” condition he never knew he had.
Charlie Vincent, 20, was rushed to hospital with second-degree burns from sunburn on a trip to the US – with doctors quickly noticing he had patches of pneumonia on his lungs during treatment.
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The young man from Northamptonshire underwent surgery for a respiratory infection, but during surgery he suffered cardiac arrest due to shock.
Charlie had a small stroke while doctors were trying to get his heart beating again.
It took 25 minutes for the 20-year-old’s heart to restart, his family said.
Charlie’s sister Emily Vincent, 24, described his recovery from the operating table as a “miracle”.
She told Real Life: “At one point I just couldn’t see how Charlie could do it, it was absolutely heartbreaking, it was hell.
“It’s definitely a miracle he’s still here.”
The student was in New Hampshire to teach six-year-olds how to canoe as part of a summer camp in the US.
After just a few hours outside, Charlie was left with extreme sunburn on his legs.
In the following days things “deteriorated rapidly” with the young man falling ill, according to Emily.
The third-year film student at De Montfort University in Leicester was taken to a nearby hospital for treatment as doctors discovered a hidden health problem.
After routine tests, doctors discovered he had pneumonia in his lungs and also an enlarged heart, causing his vital organs to work harder than normal, Emily continued.
The two major health scares worried doctors, who began making plans to operate on the 20-year-old before his condition worsened.
Doctors say Charlie likely had a dangerous heart condition – known as cardiomegaly – since birth, but pneumonia may have caused the problem to worsen.
Emily said: “We were told he was in a critical condition, even the doctors were very scared for him, and not having anyone out there must have been scary for him.
“He was always a healthy boy, never showed any heart problems before, so it was crazy to us that he deteriorated so quickly.”
Charlie spent a week after the near-fatal surgery in a medically induced coma with doctors fearing he might need a heart and lung transplant.
He was hooked up to life support machines and transferred to two different hospitals for further tests before miraculously waking up.
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Doctors were reportedly amazed at his organs as they began to show signs of recovery.
With Charlie now up and walking again.
He is expected to return to the UK for further treatment in the coming days on a medical flight.
Charlie’s parents Joe, 47, and Sue Vincent, 50, flew to be by their son’s side and remained with him the entire time.
Emily couldn’t go to the US, but kept in touch through her parents.
She says Charlie is “seeming very positive.”
He was always a healthy boy, never showed any heart problems before, so it was crazy to us that he deteriorated so quickly
Emily Vicente
The sister added: “I was desperate to get there, mum and dad were desperate to get there.
“My brother and I are almost like twins – even though there’s a four year age difference – he’s like my best friend.
“He’s my rock and always has been, so it was really hard to think about a life without Charlie.”
The family is now waiting to find out how much of Charlie’s treatment will be covered by his insurance.
His parents have confirmed they are covered for up to £390,000, but due to the intricate surgery and extensive recovery process, his medical bills in the US will be high.
Emily said the family has no idea what the final cost will be, and the team says they can’t release a figure until the treatment officially ends.
To help cover expected costs, the family has created a GoFundMe page.
It has already raised more than £13,000 and is expected to be spent on the parents’ travel expenses as well as medical bills.
What is cardiomegaly?
CARDIOMEGALY – also known simply as an enlarged heart – occurs when the heart is abnormally thick or excessively stretched.
This causes it to become larger than normal, causing problems with blood pumping.
The condition can be temporary or permanent.
For many patients, cardiomegaly is manageable and does not affect daily life.
Symptoms
- Fatigue
- Dizziness
- Palpitations
- Shortness of breathe
- Edema in the chest, legs and feet
- Increases the risk of stroke or heart failure
Some people may not experience any symptoms.
People may undergo surgery to help resolve the problem, through the implementation of a defibrillator, valve or revascularization.
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