Man nearly dies from sepsis after eating pub roast chicken dinner

By Amy Reast

A man was left fighting for his life with sepsis and multi-organ failure after eating a roast chicken dinner at his local pub.

Udhyam Amin, 64, was rushed to the ER with suspected food poisoning shortly after enjoying the meal out in February 2026.

Udhyam, a dad-of-three from Kingswood, Surrey, was rushed into a resuscitation room because his blood pH fell dangerously low.

But he deteriorated further - going into cardiac arrest and ending up in intensive care, where he was placed on a ventilator.

His family were told he was the sickest patient in the hospital - St Helier Hospital in Sutton, South London - and that he might not even survive the journey to ICU.

They learned he had gone into sepsis and multi-organ failure.

Udhyam spent two weeks in an induced coma and had to learn to walk again, speak clearly and rebuild the strength that sepsis had taken.

Today, former sub-postmaster turned businessman Udhyam is back home with his family and is fundraising for the ICU that saved his life.

Udhyam's daughter, Parisha Bains, 33, recalled: "It felt like our world had fallen apart. Nothing prepares you for hearing that the person you love may not make it through the day.

"We were told he had gone into sepsis and multi-organ failure. Most of his critical organs had shut down.

"It's nothing short of a miracle that he is still with us. We laugh and joke that he's like a cat with nine lives."

Udhyam said: "Words cannot express my gratitude for the exceptional care, compassion and dedication the medical teams showed me during the most difficult time of my life.

"Their skill and commitment saved my life, and I will be forever grateful. I cannot thank them enough for giving me a second chance."

Udhyam became unwell after his roast chicken at the pub and learned he was infected with the bacteria Campylobacter, a common cause of food poisoning.

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When in hospital, he was rushed into a resuscitation room despite still being conscious - chatting to his family and complaining of stomach pain.

But soon after, he deteriorated and ended up in the ICU on a ventilator and his family were warned he had just hours to live.

Udhyam's daughter Parisha, a surgical registrar at Epsom and St Helier University Hospitals NHS Trust, said: "It felt like our world had fallen apart."

While his loved ones prepared for the worst from his bedside, the dedicated team in St Helier's ICU worked to save his life.

Parisha said: "They comforted us through endless uncertainty, answered every question with kindness, celebrated every tiny improvement with us and gave us hope when hope seemed impossible to find.

"But he made it through the night and that wasn't expected.

"One of the first things he asked us when he woke up was what date it was because he had to submit his tax returns!"

Udhyam's recovery was long and challenging - but gradually he returned to his normal self.

He is now back to working seven days a week and enjoying his life again.

Staff nurse Pooja Rani, who was part of Udhyam's care team, said: "Udhyam was one of the sickest patients we cared for at that time, so seeing him make such a remarkable recovery and return home to his family is exactly why we do what we do.

"It was a privilege to be part of his journey, and we're all delighted to see him back enjoying life again."

To thank the teams who cared for Udhyam, the Amin family have launched a fundraiser for Epsom and St Helier Hospitals Charity, in support of the St Helier ICU, which has raised more than £37,000 ($49,655) so far.

They hope the money raised will benefit other critically ill patients and provide comfort to families, supporting them through their own difficult journeys.

Molly Simpson, head of charity and fundraising at Epsom and St Helier Hospitals Charity, said: "Udhyam's story is both remarkable and inspiring.

"We are enormously thankful to Udhyam's family for turning their gratitude into action by raising funds to support St Helier."