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A man who lost half his body weight after being diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes has been described by specialists as “the most complex case they’ve ever seen”, according to his partner. Ben
Hayman, 41, from Halifax, first sought medical aid after feeling dizzy and lethargic in 2022. Diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes, he was given insulin to self-medicate, but rapidly began losing
weight. At first this was thought to be down to a successful weight loss class, which he had been attending for a month, but it soon became clear it was something more serious. Over three
years, Ben dropped from 22 stone to 11 stone. In that time, he has suffered a slew of debilitating illnesses, including a blood clot, sepsis and cavitating pneumonia, which has made a hole
in his lungs. Doctors initially diagnosed him with malabsorption and stomach ulcers, but they are still unable to explain what is at the root of his suffering. Last month he tried to get out
of bed and his legs gave way. He shattered his femur and is currently awaiting an operation in Calderdale Royal Hospital, Halifax. “We just wish he could be well and that we could live the
life we had previously,” Ben’s partner, Joanne McKernan, 42, said. “It all just came out of the blue. It’s so sad to see a man deteriorate like he has. He was a strong, 6ft 4in, well-built
man. “He’s missed out on so much of our six-year-old’s life and he can’t work and provide for his family anymore. It sucks.” A sales manager in Manchester, Ben was first admitted to
Calderdale Royal Hospital in February 2022 as he felt dizzy, delirious, and his skin had gone grey. It was discovered he had Type 1 diabetes and acidosis, which is when bodily fluids become
excessively acidic. “We had a little boy and we were doing all the normal things a family would when he first went to hospital,” Joanne said. He was given insulin to self-medicate and left
hospital to continue life as normal. Ben joined a weight loss class in March 2022 and after losing a stone in the first month, appeared to be making good progress. “It was great. He stopped
going in April as we thought it was working really,” Joanne said. However, his weight continued to drop, and by December 2022 he had lost around four stone in 10 months. By then he was
unable to keep food down, was being sick regularly, and was feeling dizzy again, so he returned to hospital. It was discovered his potassium levels were half the healthy amount and
life-threateningly low. “No one knew what the problem was,” Joanne said. “He had so many procedures – MRIs, CT scans, colonoscopies, endoscopies and X-rays. We’ve lost count of how many.
They tested him for Crohn’s, bowel cancer and pancreatitis and it was none of those.” He was diagnosed simply with malabsorption – difficulty in the digestion or absorption of nutrients from
food – and stomach ulcers, but the cause of those remained a mystery. Over the following year, Ben was admitted to hospital three times as his symptoms were not improving and he was
continuing to lose weight rapidly. In November 2023 he was put on Total Parenteral Nutrition (TPN), providing key nutrients and minerals, but he came off this in January 2024 as his stomach
ulcers appeared to be improving. In April 2024, he collapsed at work and was unable to move his arms and legs. Once again it was discovered his potassium levels were critically low, so he
was placed on TPN again, which he has been on ever since. While his energy levels have improved, Ben continues to be sick and has now lost a total of 11 stone in three years – half his
weight. Since May last year however, Ben has had sepsis and pneumonia, thought to have been caused by an infection in his TPN canula. He also had a blood clot which has moved into his body
and the cavitating pneumonia has caused a hole in his lung. While at home last month, Ben tried to get out of bed, but his legs gave way beneath him and he shattered his femur. However, he
cannot receive surgery or an epidural on the leg as he is too unwell and the risk of infection is too high. Despite the “countless” procedures and tests, the cause of Ben’s illnesses remains
unknown. “Still we’ve not really got a full diagnosis, other than he just struggles to absorb things,” Joanne said. “We’ve seen doctors and specialists in three hospitals. They say it’s the
most complex case they’ve ever seen. “There’s now so much going on in his body with all the different issues. It’s been really hard. We were going on holidays, travelling, socialising and
taking our son abroad every year before. “But since he’s become poorly, everything has stopped. Ben can’t work and provide for his family anymore. That was his main priority. For our son,
daddy being ill is the norm.” Ben’s company has been accommodating and he is still technically employed, though he can only work a maximum of one day a week. He has not been able to work
during his current three-month stint in hospital. “It sucks, to be honest. There’s just so much information, so many hospital visits and still the only cause we know is that he struggles to
absorb things,” Joanne said.