When Soren Almeida jetted off to the charming island of Kiritimati for vacation, he never expected that he’d be left fighting for his life.
But the 22-year-old California-native ended up in a very scary situation when he was hit with a rare and dangerous sickness in a place that had very little medical help.
While chatting with the Daily Mail, Almeida explained that he decided on Kiritimati for his trip because it ‘stuck out’ to him as a ‘unique place to visit.’
Kiritimati, also known as Christmas Island, is best known for its pristine beaches, amazing snorkeling and warm waters, perfect for a relaxing getaway.
However, because of its hard-to-reach location – it is roughly 1,300 miles south of Honolulu, Hawaii, and just 144 miles north of the Equator in the Pacific – there are limited ways to get there.
‘There is only one flight per week leaving from Honolulu. Anyone wanting to visit is committed to visiting for seven days,’ Almeida explained. ‘Due to how remote it is, not many people visit annually.’
But that was part of what drew him in, and in December 2025, Almeida made the trek to Kiritimati.
He explained that island itself is ‘quite large’ but is ‘sparsely populated,’ with just 7,380 inhabitants.
When Soren Almeida jetted off to the charming island of Kiritimati for vacation, he never expected that he’d be left fighting for his life
He started developing symptoms ‘similar to food poisoning’ about halfway through the trip. He was then rushed to the hospital after he started to suffer from intense muscle cramps
‘You can walk for miles and not see another person, which creates a vast, almost “otherworldly” environment,’ he added.
While the first few days of his trip went great, he started developing symptoms ‘similar to food poisoning’ about halfway through.
‘This made it difficult to retain fluids and stay hydrated, which created a dangerous situation,’ he shared.
‘The equatorial climate is harsh, and my body simply couldn’t keep up with it.’
Suddenly, one morning, Almeida said he started to suffer from intense muscle cramps and numbness in his arms and legs.
‘Within three minutes, I lost control of my legs, hands and face from severe muscle cramping and uncontrollable contractions,’ he recalled.
‘I remember it was difficult to breathe in this moment. My hands locked into a fist-like state, and I physically couldn’t open them. I thought I was having a seizure.’
There is just one hospital on the island. Not knowing what exactly was happening to him and grappling with the realization that he was having a medical emergency in such a remote place left him convinced he was going to die.
Kiritimati, also known as Christmas Island, is best known for its pristine beaches, amazing snorkeling and warm waters, perfect for a relaxing getaway
There is just one hospital on the island, seen here. Knowing he was having a medical emergency in such a remote place left him convinced he was going to die
‘I understood the severity of the situation. The thought occurred to me more than once that I could die in that moment,’ he said.
‘I’ll never forget that feeling. All I could do was focus on my breathing, praying and identifying objects around me to keep my brain active.’
Upon arriving at the hospital, Almeida learned he had tetany, or ‘involuntary muscle contractions and overly stimulated peripheral nerves’ usually caused by electrolyte imbalances and low blood calcium levels, per Cleveland Clinic.
‘It was likely caused by severe dehydration, electrolyte imbalance, heat and exertion,’ Almeida explained.
He ultimately stayed in the hospital for 14 hours while he got an IV to rehydrate him.
Since there’s only one flight that leaves the island per week, he knew he had to get on the next one or he’d be stuck there for seven more days.
So despite being ‘barely able to walk to stand up,’ he left the island to head back home a little over 48 hours after he was discharged from the hospital.
Almeida said that while he is doing ‘much better now,’ just over a month on, he’s still not 100 percent healed from the incident, adding: ‘Recovery has been gradual but positive.’
Almeida had tetany, or ‘involuntary muscle contractions and overly stimulated peripheral nerves’ usually caused by electrolyte imbalances. The inside of the hospital is seen
He ultimately stayed in the hospital for 14 hours while he got an IV to rehydrate him and he left the island to head back home a little over 48 hours after he was discharged from the hospital
Almeida said that while he is doing ‘much better now,’ he’s still not 100 percent healed from the incident, adding: ‘Recovery has been gradual but positive.’ He’s seen recently
Looking back, he said that while it was terrifying there was one positive that came out of his experience.
‘I had the ability to experience the medical system firsthand, which is a very rare glimpse into the everyday lives that people live in Kiritimati,’ he reflected.
‘While this experience was by no means fun, it allowed me a perspective that very few people will ever get to witness, which I’m grateful for.’
His warning to others? Be prepared and take care of yourself. But he doesn’t want his story to defer people from taking a trip out of fear that it might happen to them too.
‘When traveling, anything can happen, even if you take precautions. With this reality in mind, I do not wish to scare people away from traveling, especially to places like Kiritimati,’ he concluded.
‘If anything, this experience is a testimony to how amazing the people I was with are, and I’m so blessed to have been integrated into the culture, society and traditions for the week I was there. I’m thankful for this experience and have no regrets about visiting.’
