A 23-year-old man who went into hospital with what was believed to be glandular fever died three months later. Will Carmichael, from Warrington, was suffering from hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH), a rare and life-threatening immune system disorder where white blood cells attack other cells in the body. Left untreated, HLH can be fatal within months.
Hospital Admission and Diagnosis
In 2023, Will began experiencing feverish symptoms and was prescribed antibiotics. He was taken to Warrington Hospital in October 2023 with worsening symptoms and was later transferred to Royal Liverpool Hospital, where he was finally diagnosed with HLH. At the time, he had just completed an apprenticeship with Howdens Joinery.
His cousin, Olivia Roberts, 28, described him as "so kind, so loving, so funny" and said that "everyone who met him didn't have a bad word to say about him." She recalled that for about a year before 2023, Will had been diagnosed with mono (glandular fever) and given antibiotics, and was "back and forth" with the hospital.
Final Days and Death
Will also developed fluid on the lungs, and a biopsy revealed he had lung cancer. He died on January 20, 2024, two months after his HLH diagnosis and three months after entering hospital. Olivia said his death was "a complete shock" because he had never been a sickly person. She described how on the Monday before he passed away, he had perked up, but two or three days later, the family was called to the hospital.
Olivia said: "It was awful. Nobody has been the same since. I don't know how his mum and dad are coping, because Will was their only child."
Family Fundraising Efforts
In memory of Will, his family and friends plan to do a 10,000 ft skydive in June next year to raise money for Giddo's Gift, a charity supporting teenagers and young adults with cancer. The charity was founded in memory of Jordan Giddins, who died in 2017 after battling HLH and cancer. Will's loved ones have previously raised £6,500 for the charity by climbing Mount Snowdon and completing marathons, and received a Star award for their efforts.
Olivia hopes that raising awareness of HLH could help others, saying: "Will was sick for longer than we thought. Maybe if it was caught earlier he might have lived longer. People can survive by stem cell transplant, but Will was past that point when he was diagnosed. If more people are aware, if more people can get checked, more people can be saved."
