By Jessica Best
Chris Morone, 18, the Welsh teen who died after contracting a mysterious disease in Kenya
A NEWPORT teenager struck down by a mystery illness while he was on a trip to Kenya has died.
Chris Morrone, 18, died at the University of Hospital Wales, Cardiff, on Thursday night, after doctors battled for months find out what was making him ill.
The St Julians Comprehensive pupil fell ill in August while on a trip to Kenya with 39 other young people as part of a month-long summer scheme run by Adventure Alternative.
The group had flown out to the African country on July 21, and spent two weeks helping to build a school in Nairobi, before climbing Mount Kenya and going on safari in Kenya’s Meru National Park.
But during the safari, Chris began to complain of chest pains and had trouble breathing. On August 9 he was rushed to Nairobi Hospital and admitted to the intensive care unit. Doctors said he was in a critical condition, and despite tests the cause of his illness remained unclear.
Chris’ parents John and Anne-Marie flew out to be at his bedside while their son underwent several operations including surgery to remove part of his lung which had become gangrenous, and another to repair a collapsed lung.
After a month in the Kenyan capital, Chris was judged stable enough to be flown back to the UK where he was admitted to Newport’s Royal Gwent Hospital.
But after 10 days, his condition worsened again and he was was moved to the University of Wales Hospital. He was kept on a ventilator in intensive care for a month, but doctors remained baffled by what was making him ill.
Chris’s aunt Jill Campbell told the Argus in October staff at the hospital were trying to bring him off the ventilator, but said doctors might never be able to tell them the cause of Chris’ condition.
He died at around 8.30pm on Thursday night.
During Chris’ illness his family said they had been overwhelmed by support from family and friends, with more than £10,000 raised in less than a month to help Chris’ parents while they were out in Nairobi.
Source: www.southwalesangus.co.uk
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