From malaria to multi-marathon fundraising

In a two-month hospital stay at North Manchester General Hospital in 2023, Pravesh Patel overcame a bout of malaria that was three times over the severe infection rate, a rare disease called Hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH) and COVID. Less than six months after being discharged, Prav is taking on a host of gruelling running challenges to raise money in aid of the hospital that saved his life.

Admittance to North Manchester General Hospital

Prav had been training for the Manchester Half Marathon prior to a whale watching trip to Mozambique in October 2023, but upon his return he sensed something was wrong.

Prav returned to work but his condition worsened. Fatigue was followed by a fever, and a COVID test returned a positive result. He booked a GP appointment just in case for the following week but assumed he’d be able to sleep the symptoms off over the weekend. His condition deteriorated further. His fever continued, he lost his appetite, fatigue increased and he was unable to sleep. He dreaded the thought of going outside.
Later, upon realising that he had become delirious, his partner Emma called him an ambulance from her workplace in Birmingham and Prav greeted paramedics at his door confused and unable to answer basic questions. It was at this point that he realised how unwell he was.

Prav was taken into ICU at North Manchester General Hospital (NMGH) and diagnosed with two strains of malaria, COVID and multiple organ failure, which included, kidney failure, the onset of lung failure and swelling on the brain. Prav had life threatening levels of malaria in his blood, with 36.8% of his red blood cells infected with the parasite, the highest his consultant had seen and three times the ‘severe’ infection rate of 10%.

Prav says: “At the time, I wasn’t fully aware of what was going on. I didn’t realise the severity of where I was. When I did come to realise, I didn’t think I was going to make it.”

“The doctors and nurses in the ICU department were incredible. All of those who interacted with me, they are very special human beings cut from a different cloth.”

A rare diagnosis

Shortly after leaving ICU to recover on an infectious diseases ward (NMGH is home to the region’s specialist Infectious Diseases Unit), Prav was diagnosed with Hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH), a rare life-threatening autoimmune disease. It’s especially rare for this to be caused by malaria.

Prav said: “My partner Emma, constantly at my side, was my absolute rock, doing everything she could to make me feel better. If she wasn’t there – I would have given up the fight.”

“Doctor Sunil helped me understand that taking small steps was key to achieving larger goals. Another doctor explained various breathing exercises to help me focus on my breath work. Nurses Lisa and Carey helped me feel more myself by giving me a shave, and Ella and Freddie from J3 really helped me transition from ICU. They were incredibly supportive. Many nurses helped me in so many different ways – I will forever be in their debt.”

Both Prav’s partner Emma and medical staff kept written diaries for him whilst he was in ICU in order help him understand and come to terms with what he had been through, a period that he remembers very little of.

Prav describes the ICU staff’s outpatient calls to him as “like therapy”, helping him to navigate the move from around the clock attention in ICU to the comparable loneliness of recovery on the ward.

He says: “You don’t meet many people in your life who have had experiences like mine in ICU. The staff helped me realise I wasn’t alone and checked in with me right up to February this year (2024). They really supported me in terms of my mental state of mind, which is the hardest thing to overcome.”

Whilst recovering in hospital, Prav, asked doctors if he would be able to run the Barcelona Half Marathon in March, a trip he’d booked the previous year. He recalls the look of surprise on doctors’ faces at a time when he was only just relearning how to walk.

Balazs Dancso, Consultant at North Manchester General Hospital Infectious Diseases Unit:

“We are very happy to see Prav made a full recovery after being treated at North Manchester General Hospital under the care of the Infectious Diseases Team. We wish him all the best for his upcoming runs. It’s very kind of him to fundraise for the hospital and we value his continued support.”

After discharge

Prav spent 36 days in North Manchester General Hospital, with 22 of those days in ICU, and running has become a major part of his recovery since being discharged. Upon hearing about Prav’s remarkable story, Chasing Lights Collective, a London-based run club associated with watch brand G-Shock, got him a place for the London marathon and have supported him with a running coach.

The life-saving care Prav received whilst in North Manchester General Hospital – part of Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust (MFT), the largest NHS Trust in the country – has inspired him to fundraise through various running events. In 2024 alone, he took on the Barcelona, San Sebastian and Manchester Half Marathons and the London Marathon – all in support of his aim to raise a total of £10,000 to support treatment, research and care projects at NMGH.

Prav says: “Staff often said that I shouldn’t be here after what I have been through. They said that I was always training for malaria not a marathon, and that running saved my life.”

“For 36 days I watched how the staff at the hospital worked as a collective team, everyone from the consultants and doctors to the nurses and cleaners. It was all done with the utmost diligence and integrity.

“I hope by raising money, more miracles like mine can happen.”

Georgia Sleigh, Relationship Officer at MFT Charity:

“Prav’s story is a remarkable one. Not only is it a story of perseverance and dedication on his part but it’s also a testament to the care and expertise of the staff that treated and cared for him. We’re very grateful to Prav for his fundraising, wish him the best in his future runs and we hope his story can inspire others.”