California Man Hospitalized After 'Mystery' Illness During Trip to the Philippines: 'It Is Traumatizing'

Armando Ramos, 53, is fighting for his life after developing a “mystery” respiratory illness while visiting the Philippines

A California man is fighting for his life after being overcome with a “mystery” illness during a trip to the Philippines.

In early August, Armando Ramos, 53, left his home in Chula Vista, San Diego, to visit Manilla, Philippines, following the death of his mother.

While focusing on funeral arrangements, the father of three — who had no underlying health conditions — started experiencing flu-like symptoms, struggling with fatigue and a sore throat, according to ABC10 News.

Five days later, Ramos was rushed to the hospital.

The software engineer was initially diagnosed with pneumonia before being intubated and placed on a ventilator.

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His condition continued to deteriorate, leading to a collapsed lung, inflammation in his brain, complications with his heart and liver, and the beginning stages of kidney failure, according to his family.

Ramos tested negative for COVID and the flu, and his family was only told that he has some type of respiratory infection. His daughters, Emma and A.J., admitted that they “feel helpless” without any answers, comparing it to the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Right now it's a mystery … every day, we still don't know what's happening to him,” Emma told the outlet. “It is traumatizing, in the sense, when the pandemic first occurred, nobody knew what was happening. You’re kind of just treating the symptoms, but not getting to the source of it. That's what it feels like is happening right now.”

“It’s a cruel deja vu with the pandemic ... Every day, anticipating his state and not knowing, it's scary,” A.J. added.

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Doctors are continuing to run tests on Ramos. Although he remains in critical condition, his family said he’s showing signs of progress with his kidneys and oxygen levels.

His daughters said he will likely be in the ICU for at least another two weeks, and their mother has flown to the Philippines to be by his side.

A GoFundMe account, which has already garnered over $20,000, was created in order to help cover medical expenses for Ramos and hopefully have him return to the United States.

“He’s so stubborn, he's going to fight,”  A.J. told the outlet while Emma added, “We're going to fight by his side.”

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