Chloe Barry-Hang, a 31-year-old Australian TikTok creator with around 170,000 followers, has shared a stark warning after ignoring fatigue while on holiday in Greece. Three days later, she was fighting for her life in hospital with a severe kidney infection.
From Exhaustion to Emergency
While visiting Greece, Barry-Hang initially dismissed her tiredness as jet lag and the general wear and tear of travel. However, within three days, her condition worsened dramatically. She developed a fever, uncontrollable shaking, and realised something was seriously wrong.
According to News.com, what she believed to be simple exhaustion was actually a kidney infection—a painful form of urinary tract infection (UTI). The infection required two days of hospitalisation and intravenous antibiotics.
A Personal Story Shared on TikTok
Barry-Hang, who quit her corporate job to launch lifestyle brand K. Juliet, shared her experience in a viral TikTok video. She said: "I had a UTI about a month ago, I thought it had gone away because I wasn't getting any symptoms anymore. It had gone up into my bladder, then continued up into my kidney, which has now created a kidney infection."
She added: "In terms of sicknesses I've had, I would say this one scared me the most. I was like, 'I don't know if I'm going to make this'."
Recognising the Symptoms
According to the NHS, symptoms of a kidney infection include a high temperature, feeling or being sick, pain in the lower back or side, flu-like pain, and a burning or stinging sensation during urination. If left untreated, the infection can become fatal within days as bacteria may spread from the kidneys into the bloodstream, causing sepsis—a life-threatening immune response that attacks healthy tissue and organs.
Treatment and Prognosis
When caught early, kidney infections are highly treatable and rarely fatal. Barry-Hang’s case underscores the importance of not ignoring even seemingly minor symptoms like fatigue, especially when travelling. Her story serves as a cautionary tale for holidaymakers to seek medical attention promptly if they feel unwell.
