‘A single sneeze could have killed me’, says dad, 31, who lost nose after ‘flu’ was really two-in-a-million condition

A DAD was forced to get his nose removed after catching a fungal infection that was eating into his face.

Brandon Boothby, 31, had been diagnosed with a two-in-a-million condition that leaves sufferers with little immunity to fight off serious infections.

The dad from Florida, US, said if his nose hadn't been removed, the infection would have "reached my eyes within a few weeks and my brain within a month".

Brandon's ordeal began when he developed flu-like symptoms.

They "progressively got worse", to the point where he was so weak he was passing out.

After going to the hospital, tests revealed he had an autoimmune condition known as severe aplastic anaemia.

Aplastic anaemia is a rare condition that occurs when your body stops producing enough new blood cells.

In the US and UK, around two people per million are diagnosed with it each year. That's roughly 100 to 150 Brits per year.

Because there are fewer red blood cells, a person can feel fatigue, short of breath, have headaches or chest pains. The lack of platelets can also cause bleeding.

Fewer white blood cells means a person is more likely to pick up infections such as colds, and find it harder to fend it off.

"It's such a severe disease that if someone sneezes around you, you could get a fatal infection," Brandon, who worked as a firefighter, said.

Treatment can include immunosuppressants, chemotherapy, blood transfusions, or blood and bone marrow transplants.

'My nose began to itch'

While waiting for a bone marrow donor, Brandon returned home to his daughter Carter and wife Lauren.

But soon after, his nose began to itch and, eventually, hurt.

Once he developed a fever, Brandon went back to the hospital, where doctors diagnosed him with a potentially fatal fungal infection.

"It wasn't hard to breathe when my nose got infected; it was just the local pain and swelling that was alarming," he explained.

The dad said doctors performed five surgeries on his nose and face in an attempt to "chase"; the fungus and stop it in its destructive tracks.

"It was just going deeper and deeper into my face and started to get into my left eye," he said.

"The next place it would go would be my brain, which would be the end game."

After two weeks of trying to save the nose, doctors decided that they had to remove it along with part of the eye socket to stop the fungus and save his life.

Brandon has since had a prosthetic nose fitted.

It was just going deeper and deeper into my face and started to get into my left eye

Brandon

Soon after, the firefighter was matched with a bone marrow donor.

He had a transplant, but his ordeal was far from over.

After the transplant, the usually healthy dad developed what's known as graft versus host syndrome.

The new, healthy blood cells that were produced as a result of the bone marrow transplant were attacking his own body.

Brandon ended up extremely malnourished, with eczema-like symptoms and inflammation of his organs as a result.

He was even at risk of having part of his intestine removed and a colostomy (stoma) bag fitted due to the severe reaction.

Luckily, because he was fit before, doctors decided to help him heal naturally, and it worked.

They put on a type of tube feed which mean nutrients and fluid went directly into the bloodstream, giving his digestive system time to recover.  

Road to recovery

Brandon is now telling his story to spread the word about the condition - a year and a half later.

He said: "They [doctors] told me it could take up to three years to heal completely, but it's been almost two now, and it's going extremely well.

"While I still need to go to for monthly checkups, I've returned to full-time duty as a firefighter."

He added: "Now, I wake up with a whole different mindset.

"I appreciate everything, even if it's just standing outside and enjoying the weather or being with my daughter."