In August 2015, 20-year-old Tess Swift was filled with excitement and anticipation. After completing an exhausting nursing placement at university, she had finally reached a moment to relax and celebrate her hard work. Her mother, Virginia Swift, planned a special trip to Thailand for Tess and her older sister Ally as a reward for the demanding month Tess had just endured. Their father, Jeremy, remained in Australia due to work commitments, but the three women were eager for the adventure ahead.
For Tess, the holiday felt like a perfect escape. Thailand’s tropical beaches, vibrant culture, and unforgettable cuisine promised the ideal balance of relaxation and exploration. The family spent their days snorkeling in clear waters, visiting elephant sanctuaries, and enjoying bustling markets filled with colorful street food. Every moment seemed like a memory in the making. Tess returned home believing she had just experienced one of the most beautiful trips of her life.
What she didn’t realize was that the journey had also marked the beginning of a medical nightmare that would transform her life forever.
The First Signs Something Was Wrong
Shortly after returning to Australia, Tess began feeling unusually unwell. At first, the symptoms seemed mild—nausea, fatigue, and occasional stomach discomfort. After weeks of travel and excitement, it seemed reasonable to assume she was simply experiencing post-trip exhaustion. However, the symptoms didn’t fade.
Instead, they slowly worsened.
By October, only two months after returning home, Tess was rushed to the hospital with severe abdominal pain and relentless vomiting. Doctors suspected appendicitis and quickly performed surgery to remove her appendix. Initially, it seemed like a logical explanation for her pain.
But the surgery didn’t solve anything.
The nausea and pain continued, leaving both Tess and her doctors confused. Medical scans showed nothing unusual, and tests revealed no clear cause. After receiving fluids and pain medication, she was discharged—without answers.
What followed would be years of uncertainty, frustration, and relentless suffering.
A Mysterious Illness With No Clear Diagnosis
Over the next two years, Tess’ health continued to deteriorate. Her daily life became defined by severe nausea, stomach cramps, and an inability to keep food down. The symptoms made it nearly impossible for her to maintain a normal routine.
Despite her passion for nursing, Tess was only able to work for six months before her illness forced her to stop.
Doctor after doctor attempted to solve the mystery. Specialists ran countless tests and scans. Some suggested she had irritable bowel syndrome. Others proposed that the symptoms might be psychological or stress-related.
None of the explanations truly fit.
Finally, in 2017, doctors diagnosed Tess with gastroparesis—a condition in which the stomach becomes partially or completely paralyzed, preventing it from moving food through the digestive system properly. She was also diagnosed with dysautonomia, a disorder affecting the autonomic nervous system that controls essential bodily functions such as digestion, heart rate, and blood pressure.
While these diagnoses explained some of her symptoms, they still failed to answer the most important question: why had this happened in the first place?
Treatments were limited. Tess was placed on a liquid diet and prescribed multiple medications, but little improved. Her body continued to struggle.
When Eating Became Impossible
By 2018, Tess’ condition had reached a critical point.
The constant vomiting meant she could no longer consume enough food to maintain proper nutrition. Doctors made the difficult decision to insert a feeding tube, allowing nutrients to be delivered directly into her body.
Her world grew smaller.
Simple activities—meeting friends, traveling, working—became increasingly difficult. Much of her life was now spent at home or in hospitals. The emotional toll of living with a chronic, unexplained illness began to weigh heavily on her mental health.
Hospitalizations became more frequent. In 2019, Tess endured a six-week hospital stay due to extreme nausea and severe abdominal pain.
Still, no one knew the true cause.
During this time, blood samples were sent to a specialist laboratory in Thailand to test for rare parasitic infections. The possibility seemed unlikely, but doctors wanted to rule out every potential explanation.
Then the COVID-19 pandemic arrived.
The global disruption delayed test results for more than two years.
The Shocking Diagnosis
In November 2022—seven years after her original trip to Thailand—Tess finally received the answer she had been searching for.
She had gnathostomiasis, a rare parasitic infection caused by the larvae of a roundworm.
The parasite had entered her body during her holiday in Thailand and slowly invaded multiple organs. Over time, it had caused severe damage to her digestive system, paralyzing her stomach and affecting her bowel and colon.
The diagnosis was both devastating and strangely relieving.
At last, there was a clear explanation for years of suffering.
Even more surprising was how rare the case was. Tess was only the 68th confirmed case of gnathostomiasis in Australia.
Doctors believe she likely contracted the parasite not from seafood—often the typical source—but from contaminated floodwater she walked through during her travels.
Unfortunately, by the time the infection was identified, the damage had already become irreversible.
Living With the Consequences
Determined not to lose her sense of humor, Tess gave the parasite a name: “Percy.”
Naming it became her way of reclaiming a small sense of control over a situation that had otherwise felt overwhelming.
Doctors treated her with multiple rounds of antiparasitic medication combined with steroids. While the treatments helped combat the infection, they came with significant side effects.
Over time, Tess developed additional complications including:
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Liver disease
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Autoimmune conditions
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Cushing’s syndrome
In February 2024, she faced another major challenge when she required a double hip replacement due to osteonecrosis—a condition where bone tissue dies because of reduced blood flow, likely caused by prolonged steroid treatment.
Today, Tess takes up to 15 medications every day.
She relies on crutches for mobility and continues to receive nutrition through a feeding tube connected directly to her small intestine.
Finding Strength in the Smallest Victories
Despite everything she has endured, Tess refuses to allow her illness to define her life completely.
She celebrates the small victories that many people might overlook: spending time with loved ones, enjoying moments of laughter, and occasionally tasting small treats—like a slice of birthday cake.
Her resilience has inspired friends, family, and even strangers who have learned about her journey.
One potential treatment that could significantly improve her quality of life is a gastric pacemaker, a device designed to stimulate stomach muscles and help restore some digestive function. Unfortunately, the procedure costs around $50,000, and it is not currently covered by Australia’s Medicare system.
In response, Tess’ support network has begun raising funds to help cover the cost. While the total raised so far is only a fraction of the required amount, the effort reflects the strong community standing behind her.
A Story of Persistence and Hope
By sharing her story publicly, Tess hopes to help others facing mysterious illnesses. Many patients struggle for years without answers, often feeling dismissed or misunderstood along the way.
Her message is simple but powerful: trust your instincts about your own body and never stop advocating for your health.
What began as a dream holiday ultimately became a life-altering medical battle. Yet through a decade of uncertainty, pain, and unexpected challenges, Tess Swift continues to move forward with courage.
Her journey serves as a powerful reminder of how unpredictable life can be—and how extraordinary human resilience can be in the face of unimaginable hardship.