Kiwi tells of battle to breathe

DEREK VON STURMER: 'Bloody Mexican flu.'

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When swine flu struck Wellingtonian Derek von Sturmer in the middle of Mexico City, he was taken to hospital barely able to breathe.

The 26-year-old former real estate agent came down with the virus about a week ago, his mother, Frances, said from her home in Papakowhai last night.

After suffering normal flu symptoms for two or three days, his condition suddenly worsened and his Mexican girlfriend took him to hospital. "He could hardly breathe, he couldn't cough," Mrs von Sturmer said. "His partner took him into the hospital, where they had him on oxygen for a couple of hours and gave him some pretty strong antibiotics."

Mr von Sturmer has been in Mexico City since last July, coaching rugby.

His mother said her son's temperature had soared to about 40 degrees celsius and he lost about a kilogram a day for several days after becoming infected. "He said it was the worst thing that had happened to him in his life."

Mrs von Sturmer found out about his ordeal several days later, when he was well enough to post a message on Facebook that started: "Bloody Mexican flu."

She had been worried by his lack of contact before the message, but only realised how serious the situation was when media reported the swine flu outbreak.

By yesterday morning, when she had talked to him again over her computer, Mr von Sturmer had been in bed for a week but was on the road to recovery. "He's still coughing, but he's on the mend."

He told her Mexico City was "quite surreal, with nobody on the streets, no cars".

- © Fairfax NZ News