Wife’s heartbreaking tribute to man killed by floodwater bacterial disease

A wife has spoken of her “fun and supportive” husband’s sudden death after contracting a deadly tropical bacterial disease following record flooding in Far North Queensland.

Cairns sales assistant Evan Brown with his wife Sarah and their two children Mia, 8, and Connor, 11 before being diagnosed with melioidosis just days after his 40th birthday.

A wife has spoken of her “fun and supportive” husband’s sudden death after contracting a deadly tropical bacterial disease following record flooding in Far North Queensland.

Cairns father-of-two Evan Brown tragically died three weeks after he was diagnosed with a deadly tropical bacterial disease following the December floods.

Mr Brown was rushed to hospital on February 13, just days after his 40th birthday, suffering multiple organ failure and septicaemia that would later be diagnosed as melioidosis.

Mr Brown’s widow Sarah remembered her husband as a “fun dad” who “tried to show his love in his own way.”

“Evan is the man no one forgets, whether they love him or love to hate him he can sell you on anything,” Ms Brown said.

“He had many loves from fishing, 4x4 to BBQing and the hunt of a sale but his biggest love of all was his family.”

Ms Brown said her husband was the funny uncle, the fun dad, the annoying but supportive brother, and the adored son.

“He often found life challenging but he always tried and when he could find a way to show love his own way he would,” she said.

“The endless Simpsons meme, countless gifts and afternoon car ride phone calls will all be treasured and missed so much.

“He always did life his own way and lived by his motto of just one per cent better everyday. We promise to keep living this way and hope that his story can inspire others to take on life no matter what and always care for themselves and those around them.”

Cairns sales assistant Evan Brown with his wife Sarah and their two children Mia, 8, and Connor, 11 before being diagnosed with melioidosis just days after his 40th birthday.

She praised staff at both Cairns Hospital and Gold Coast University Hospital for their dedicated care for Evan during his final days and urged those with lingering health symptoms to contact their doctor or seek a second opinion.

“Please if you are unwell for longer than a week go and get yourself checked, seek second opinions, opt to be face-to-face with a doctor, track your health and write notes or points of interest to talk about with medical professionals,” Ms Brown said.

“This horrible experience has left us wanting to share Evan’s story far and wide to try and help others avoid this horrible pain.”

Mr Brown was rushed to Gold Coast University Hospital but later sadly died surrounded by friends and family, according to his sister-in-law Harley.

“Today (March 4), surrounded by his family, Evan took his final breath, releasing himself from the pain that he has endured over the last three weeks and is now at peace,” she wrote in an online statement.

A serious bacterial infection found in groundwater and soil, melioidosis cases typically spike after major wet weather events with at least two patients succumbing to the illness following Townsville’s 2019 floods.

Mr Brown’s death is the second recent tragedy directly related to melioidosis in the region after a man died from the disease in January.

Burkholderia pseudomallei. A bacteria which cause melioidosis, a disease spread through contaminated water and soil.

It also follows a separate incident in 2023 where seven children were also diagnosed with the disease following an outbreak at a Cairns private school.

A Cairns Hinterland Hospital and Health Service spokeswoman confirmed 25 cases of melioidosis had been recorded in the Cairns and Hinterland and Torres and Cape region since the beginning of the year, which is higher than average.

Tropical Public Health Services Cairns director Dr Richard Gair said the disease occurred when skin abrasions or wounds came into contact with wet soil or water contaminated by the bacteria Burkholderia pseudomallei.

“Melioidosis is very uncommon in healthy adults, and rarely seen in children, but can occasionally occur in people with diabetes, kidney problems, lung problems and people on medication that lowers their immune system,” he said.

“Symptoms of acute Melioidosis may include fever, cough and difficulty breathing; the effects can be very severe and often require hospitalisation for antibiotic treatment. Sometimes the disease presents as superficial skin infections or abscesses in various part of the body.”

Mr Brown’s family urged those with lingering symptoms, which can be similar to the flu, to seek help.

“Please remember to push for second opinions if you are unwell for extended periods of time, we hope that our family’s pain can help your family avoid experiencing it and keep Evan’s memory alive in the process,” Harley wrote.

Mr Brown is survived by his wife Sarah and two children Connor, 11 and Mia, 8.

A GoFundMe page has been organised to help his family.

Originally published as Wife’s heartbreaking tribute to man killed by floodwater bacterial disease