A dad-of-three who was left in a coma following catching the flu is warning people with his story to get vaccinated.
Aaron Clark, 42, spent 16 days in intensive care in a deep state of consciousness.
He was placed on a ventilator to help his breathing and on a dialysis machine as his kidneys weren’t working properly.
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And it was all because he caught a case of the flu.
“I had a really close call,” the garage owner, from Sutton-in-Ashfield, told Need To Know.
“Within a few hours, I went from thinking I had a nasty cold to being in an induced coma and on a ventilator in intensive care.
“One of the first things I remember when I came round was a doctor saying to me: ‘Well done, we don’t have many people come back from as far as you did.’
“I didn’t appreciate how serious the flu could be.”
Aaron recalls not feeling “quite right” on the Saturday, and by Monday, he was in bed with what felt like flu symptoms.
By Wednesday, he had developed a rash, and so his partner, Alix, called 111, and he was told to go to the doctors.
While there, his blood oxygen levels were 72% – as opposed to the “normal” range of 95% – 100%.
As his range was so low, doctors tried three different monitors as they thought their machines weren’t working properly.
Aaron, who had no underlying medical conditions and considered himself to be fit and healthy, was plunged into a coma in a bid to save his life.
Phaedra Kay, the ward leader at King’s Mill Hospital who cared for Aaron, said: “[He] had multi-organ failure when he came to us.
“He was seriously ill.
“He’s a fit and well gentleman normally, and he developed a serious type of flu, which can be extremely life-threatening for some patients.”
Aaron said: “I’d never had the flu before – in fact, I’d barely even had a cold and hadn’t needed to visit my GP since 2017.
“It was a shock just how serious it can be and how quickly everything escalated.
“From thinking I might stay in bed for a little while to being whisked off in an ambulance and put to sleep.
“It shocked a lot of my family, friends, and colleagues when they heard that flu was the reason I’d been so unwell and out of action for four months.”
He’s pledged to get his first-ever flu jab this year – and hopes his life-threatening battle will serve as a warning for others to do the same.
While it’s difficult for him to put everything that happened during his illness in the correct order, the hospital and Alix kept diaries and journals for him.
He recently visited the intensive care unit to meet some of the team who cared for him, so he could fully understand the time he spent in the hospital.
Aaron is still recovering from the ordeal in December 2024 and says the knock-on effects of being ill for so long have been the worst part.
Dr Mark Roberts, respiratory consultant, added: “While influenza is a mild illness for most people, it can cause severe illness and can be life-threatening, especially in the elderly and others who are vulnerable.
“Having the vaccine often reduces symptoms if you are affected by the virus.
“The vaccine is very effective at preventing the spread of the virus within the community.
“This helps us to protect our patients and families.”
Flu jabs are free for those most at risk, including older adults, young children, pregnant women, and people with certain health conditions.
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