Cam Cornish was just 1km from the finish line of the Two Oceans Marathon when he collapsed, changing the course of his life and giving his loved ones a new reason to root for him.
Cape Town, South Africa (23 May 2025) – Determination and drive are two words that suited Cam Cornish as he trained to take part in another marathon, this time he had his eye set on the Two Oceans Marathon. However, the race changed the course of his life and gave him an all-new determination and drive.
While it wasn’t Cam’s first marathon, it was a first in such extreme conditions. Facing the extreme heat began to take its toll on Cam and by the end of the race, severe heatstroke was taking hold. His body temperature was rising and once it hit 40°C he was in serious trouble. The problem was his temperature stayed high for far too long and it set off a series catastrophic of events within his body.
First, he was hit with multiple seizures, collapsing before the finish line. By the time emergency services got him to the hospital, his organs were struggling. The prognosis was terrifying!
“Both his kidneys and liver began to fail. He was placed on a ventilator and given just a 10% chance of survival.
As if that wasn’t enough, his body began to shut down further. The trauma caused widespread complications and infection, and a part of his brain was damaged.”
It became the fight for his life as doctors placed Cam under heavy sedation to help prevent any further damage and to give his body a chance to recover. His family rallied and spent every moment they could by his side. After a few weeks, Cam started to make progress. He spent over a month in the ICU, as doctors worked to save his kidneys and liver.
Thankfully, Cam is a fighter and after the 37 days, he was released to a step-down facility where he is now going through extensive rehabilitation to regain his strength and learn to walk again.
“We are incredibly thankful he survived, but the road to recovery is long and intensive. The rehabilitation he needs is critical to his healing and unfortunately, it comes at a significant cost.
Medical aid has been amazing so far, and we’re beyond grateful for the support it’s provided. But as you can imagine, it has its limits and will eventually come to an end. Much of Cam’s ongoing care now depends on private funding.”
Through BackaBuddy, the family hoped to raise the funds needed. They created a crowdfund to raise funds and within days, have already reached over 50%. All the funds are being sent to the rehabilitation facility where Cam is currently staying and making progress.
The family are celebrating every win, every small step and every cheeky quip from Cam as he pushes himself. Doctors are cautiously optimistic while still monitoring his organs, infection levels and other stats.
“Cam is a true warrior. He has already defied the odds and now we want to give him the best possible chance to heal fully and come back stronger than ever.”
Cam has proven himself a warrior, while his race may have ended before he could finish, every step he takes now, is worth a hundred medals.
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