“If my mother had not come to Budapest, I do not think I would have survived”, one of Norway’s best swimmers said after he was released from a Budapest hospital. Below you can read his shocking story highlighting why foreign language knowledge would be crucial in the Hungarian healthcare system.

Norwegian swimmer in trouble in Budapest

The best Norwegian breaststroke swimmer, André Klippenberg Grindheim, reported about a horrific calvary on his Instagram. He came to the FINA 2022 aquatics world championships in Budapest but could not compete in the tournament because he fell ill after he stepped on Hungarian ground. The 22-year-old athlete said in a recent Instagram post that he almost died in the hospital. But you would never guess the reason why.

Grindheim wrote that the Hungarian hospital released him last Monday, 24.hu reported. The Norwegian champion won his qualification last year. However, not long after his arrival, on June 24, he had to call the ambulance because of severe pain in his stomach. It swelled as much as if he was expecting twins.

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Nobody told him whether he will survive

He was expecting the arrival of the ambulance, but hours passed. When they came, he was shocked that their English proficiency was almost zero. In the hospital, it became clear that a segment of his intestines was dead because an internal hernia-caused inflammation that spread to his appendix.

“I only remember before the surgery that the doctor says either they do the operation or I have only hours left. It was difficult to wait for the anaesthesia without being told whether I have a chance to wake up,”

he wrote.

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Thankfully, the appendix surgery was successful, but the torture did not end. The swimmer got severe pneumonia at the hospital and was infected by the coronavirus. However,

the healthcare employees did not take the symptoms seriously.

Her mother’s thermomether saved his life

Fortunately, his mother brought a thermometer, so she told the unusually high body temperature to the staff. After a blood test, it was clear that the high CRP level is the result of an inflammation.

Afterwards, it was clear that the 22-year-old athlete had pneumonia. Grindheim said

he lost 6 kilograms in just 1.5 weeks.

He was released last Monday and flew back to Norway.

“Being at the hospital in Budapest was very difficult. I could barely communicate with those who treated me,” he complained. He said he was thankful that his mother could spend that time with him. She worked as a nurse for a while, and the Norwegian swimmer said he did not think he would not have survived without her. He experessed no gratitude towards the Hungarian nurses and doctors in his post.