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Vacation turns to fight for life on remote island
7 Feb
Summary
- Soren Almeida experienced severe muscle cramps and numbness on Kiritimati.
- He was diagnosed with tetany, likely due to dehydration and heat.
- The young traveler spent 14 hours in the island's only hospital.
Soren Almeida's vacation to the remote island of Kiritimati took a terrifying turn when he became critically ill. The 22-year-old Californian traveler found himself battling a rare sickness in a location with limited medical facilities.
Approximately halfway through his December 2025 trip, Almeida began experiencing symptoms resembling severe food poisoning. This quickly escalated to intense muscle cramps and numbness in his extremities and face, leading him to believe he was having a seizure and possibly dying.
He was rushed to the island's sole hospital, where he was diagnosed with tetany. This condition, characterized by involuntary muscle contractions, was attributed to severe dehydration, electrolyte imbalance, heat, and exertion from the equatorial climate.
