A Christchurch rugby league player has been left fighting for his life after a bacterial infection attacked his heart, leaving him in intensive care and requiring life-saving surgery.
Seamus Stack, 23, first fell ill on August 8, coming home early from work with flu-like symptoms. After a weekend of persistent headaches and a fever that couldn’t be shaken, his mother decided to take him to Christchurch Hospital’s Emergency Department, where he was treated for dehydration.
He stayed overnight to receive fluids and was released the following day, showing no obvious signs of further illness. That evening, he began complaining of sore toes and pain in his right foot.
By the next day, Seamus could barely walk and became slightly delirious. After initially not meeting the criteria for an ambulance, he was driven to a local after hours clinic. He was then taken by ambulance to the ED.
Doctors initially suspected meningitis.
However, a CT scan discovered he had endocarditis - a rare infection of the heart valves.
His father, Wayne Stack said the news was devastating for his son.
“We felt for him. He's such an active young guy. Sport has been his life.
“It all pretty much kicked off from there; it was affecting all parts of his body.”
The infection spread to multiple organs, including his brain, kidneys, spleen, and liver.
By this stage, his toes were beginning to turn black which resulted in Seamus losing the tip of the second toe on his right foot.
He was admitted to the coronary care unit and put on intravenous antibiotics. Doctors initially hoped the infection could be controlled with treatment over six weeks, but it soon became clear that surgery was necessary.
Wayne said surgeons found the valve to be damaged beyond repair, and it was replaced with a mechanical one.
Seamus spent three nights recovering in the ICU, before being transferred to the cardiac ward last Saturday. He is still battling a secondary lung infection, and requires six weeks of round-the-clock IV antibiotics as well as life-long blood thinners.
“So not ideal, but we're just happy that he's alive. I mean, we know for a while there it was touch and go,” Wayne said.
Seamus has been a keen rugby player since he was a child, playing rugby union for Marist Albion and at St Bede's before switching to league in the past two years. He also participates in touch rugby, gym training, half marathons, recently registering for the Crater Rim Ultra planned for this October.
Family and friends have offered support for the Stack family - with Seamus’ league club Hornby Panthers organising a hangi fundraiser.
Wayne shared his heartfelt gratitude, saying he was absolutely blown away by the support.
“That's the way that when things like this happen, they rally round and help families within their community…so we feel pretty humbled by that.”
While Seamus has a long road to recovery, his family are grateful for the care he has received and remain hopeful he will return to the sport and life he loves.
“I think that he will see it as a challenge. He's quite a competitive guy… he's not very big but he's competitive and determined. He's quite stubborn, so I have no doubt he will bounce back from this."
