Fingers crossed as Por battles severe dengue attack
Folks weren't particularly concerned when news went around that TV star Tridsadee "Por" Sahawong was in hospital with dengue fever, since it's quite common throughout Southeast Asia
Not even his friends’ appeals on the social media for blood donations triggered alarms.
Then came word that Por, 37, was in intensive care – followed by a rumour that he’d died.
Ramathibodi Hospital swiftly asserted that the Channel 3 mainstay was alive – though in critical condition. Cardio-pulmonary resuscitation has been required three times following acute renal failure and Por is hanging in with the help of “extracorporeal membrane oxygenation” to keep his heart and lungs working.
Far from being a typical victim of dengue, Por is evidently “a rare case”, battling infections associated with haemophagocytic syndrome, in which the white blood cell count soars as those cells destroy other cells, leading to a range of dire symptoms, including liver dysfunction.
Fingers are crossed at the hospital that no further complications arise, but the actor is in bad shape. His story has been widely shared in the news media, although the rarity of his condition appears to have been lost on readers who are fretting over how such a common disease could turn so severe.
Mind you, the term “common disease” shouldn’t disguise dengue’s potential lethality. It has killed 102 people thus far this year. Thai researchers have been working on a vaccine for decades but have yet to find an effective solution. Two other celebrity dengue cases have thus been watched more carefully. Luk thung singer Kratai R Siam has just been released from hospital and actress Taksaorn “Aff” Techanarong’s husband Songkran is struggling to shake off a milder infection.
Obviously Por would prefer to be getting headlines for more cheerful reasons, but he’s never been one to share his private life with the public, particularly details of his romantic relationships. He’s from Buri Ram in the Northeast and tends to be down to earth, so he’s never had much to say about his relationship with a TV anchorwoman at TrueVisions who so far is only known by her nickname Bow. All Por has allowed in press interviews is that he wants to get married and did propose to his girlfriend, but she declined.
Regardless, he’s got a lot of people pulling for him right now, even more so after reports of his generosity circulated online. Among the good causes he’s supported is Ramathibodi Hospital, interestingly enough, for which he’s helped raise funds.
Por has also put His Majesty the King’s “sufficiency theory” into practice on his farm in Buri Ram. He has more than 200 rai and can’t cultivate it all by himself, so he lets actual farmers plant their rice there free of charge. And he cares about animals – he often visits a home for abandoned dogs, bringing food and otherwise helping attend to their wellbeing. One lucky pooch even got adopted by the TV star.
