Jason ‘Buddy’ Miller to lose hands and feet after sore throat led to severe sepsis

WITHIN days of getting a sore throat a northern beaches dad was battling for his life. Against all the odds Jason ‘Buddy’ Miller survived, but will lose his hands and feet. Despite what has happened to him, you’ll never meet a more positive man.

Jason ’Buddy’ Miller in ICU at Northern Beaches Hospital. Picture: Julian Andrews.

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A FATHER who is having both his hands and his feet amputated next week after a sore throat escalated into a battle for his life says he’s just thankful to be alive.

Jason Miller, known as ‘Buddy’, of Queenscliff, went to Warringah Medical Centre complaining of a sore throat and flu-like symptoms on October 31 and was told to get to hospital, where he then collapsed.

Doctros have said they've never seen anyone so ill as Jason 'Buddy' Miller survive. The 48-year-old single father, of Queenscliff, battled severe sepsis. He will lose both his hands and his feet. Pictured in ICU at Northern Beaches Hospital. Picture: Supplied.

The 48-year-old who works on the Manly Ferry, had contracted two bacterial infections, the commonly found streptococcus and the rare aerococcus.

While they can be deadly on their own, the two combined led to severe septic shock, multiple organ failure and toxic shock syndrome.

Doctors can’t say how he contracted the infections, but that it was probably “just bad luck”.

His brother Brad, 54, and sister-in-law Kate, of Fairlight, were the first to arrive in the Emergency Department at Northern Beaches Hospital where six doctors were actively trying to rescusitate him.

At work on the Manly Ferry. Jason 'Buddy' Miller, 48, of Queenscliff, has worked on the ferry for 10 years and is a well-loved member of the team. Picture: Supplied.

Mr Miller, who was the man in the Speedos in the 2016 Aldi Christmas advert and has been an extra in Home And Away, was then put in a medically induced coma where a team continued to frantically work on him.

Jhayda Miller, 7, kisses her dad Jason Miller, 48, as he fights severe sepsis in ICU at Northern Beaches Hospital. Picture: Supplied.

After the family were told he had just a 10 per cent chance of survival they called a priest to read him his last rites and Jhayda, his seven-year-old daughter, was carried in to say goodbye to her daddy.

Jason 'Buddy' Miller, 48, of Queenscliff, survived severe sepsis, but will lose both his hands and his feet. Here he is pictured in the 2016 Aldi Christmas advert as the man in the Speedos. Picture: Supplied.

His brother Darryl, 52, who suffered partial paralysis due to a back problem on October 13 was given a special pass from the hospital bosses at Coffs Harbour to travel down to Frenchs Forest and say goodbye to his baby brother. He’s now back in hospital in Coffs Harbour.

Mr Miller spent the next week teetering on the edge of life and death.

TO HELP BUDDY DONATE TO HIS GOFUNDME SITE

Director of Intensive Care and Northern Beaches Hospital Dr Matthew Morgan said they had to pump Mr Miller with huge quantities of drugs to keep him alive.

“He needed a very high level of nursing care and industrial doses of drugs to keep him alive,” he said.

“He could easily have died.”

Jason 'Buddy' Miller, 48, of Queenscliff, was attacked to multiple machines in a bid to save his life. Pictured in ICU at Northern Beaches Hospital. Picture: Supplied.

Despite the odds Mr Miller pulled through without any brain damage, but suffered tissue damage to his hands and feet, due to his blood rushing to support his failing organs.

Mr Miller told the Manly Daily when he first woke up from the coma and saw his black hands and feet he thought: “Oh shit, I think they’re gone.”

While he was still intubated his family communicated via an alphabet board.

“We said do you know you will lose your hands and feet?” said his sister-in-law Kate Munn.

“And he spelt out ‘Paralympics’.”

Now sitting up in bed laughing and joking with family and visitors he said what had happened was a shock, but he was thankful to be alive.

He is expected to have the amputations in the next week, though a date has not yet been set.

Jason Miller in ICU at Northern Beaches Hospital in Frenchs Forest. With his mum Clare Miller, of Taree, left, and sister-in-law Rhonda Miller, from Coffs Harbour. He remains the most positive human being imaginable despite the fact that his hands and feet will have to be removed due to the illness. Picture Julian Andrews.

His mum Clare Miller, 73, of Taree, said they were incredibly grateful to the team of doctors and nurses who worked so hard to save his life.

“Doctors have since told us they had never seen anyone as sick as him live,” she said.

Jason 'Buddy' Miller, 48, with his daughter Jhayda, 7, before he suffered severe sepsis. Picture: Supplied.

His family believe he fought so hard for his daughter’s sake, who is coming to terms with her father’s injuries and is receiving counselling and support from the social services team at the hospital and her school.

“She reckons I’m going to be like a robot,” Mr Miller said.

“Seeing her again was a huge relief.”

Buddy with sister-in-law Kate in ICU at Northern Beaches Hospital. Picture: Julian Andrews.

Now his family are appealing to the community to rally round and raise funds for the single dad to help him with the cost associated with prosthetics, a wheelchair and his rehabilitation.

His sister-in-law Kate Munn said he was a “loveable larrikin” who had “great spirit” and was well known in Manly.

“It is a true miracle that he survived,” she said.

“Buddy’s road to recovery will be long and hard.

“A GoFundMe page has been set up to help Buddy pay for his ongoing needs through the many agonising months and years ahead.”

gofundme.com/ourbestbuddy