Brazilian exchange worker fighting botulism

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A young Brazilian woman who was working in Aspen through an exchange program has been afflicted with a rare case of botulism and is under the care of a hospital in Denver.

Claudia de Albuquerque Celada, 23, was admitted to Aspen Valley Hospital on Feb. 17 with symptoms of paralysis, dizziness, double vision and a shortness of breath, according to an associate of the family who lives in Aspen.

After a short stay at AVH, she was airlifted to Swedish Medical Center in Denver, where two weeks later Albuquerque Celada was diagnosed with botulism. She remains at the medical center, where she is being supported by a breathing aid.  Her sister, Luísa Albuquerque, posted on social media this week that the Denver hospital is paying for her flight home to Brazil via air ambulance.

"We think that recovery close to family and friends is much faster. Comparing the costs between staying here and returning to Brazil, the return is still cheaper," the sister said in another post.

Albuquerque Celada's workplace in Aspen, where she had been on a exchange program since November, has not been made public. The family has relayed on social media posts that they do not know where she contracted the infection or what she had eaten, but it is believed to have been foodborne.

"Botulism was identified only 15 days after symptoms appeared, but it is not known which food was contaminated with the bacteria," said a family member's social media post. 

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says botulism "is a rare but serious illness caused by a toxin that attacks the body's nerves. Symptoms of botulism usually start with weakness of the muscles that control the eyes, face, mouth and throat. This weakness may spread to the neck, arms, torso and legs. Botulism also can weaken the muscles involved in breathing, which can lead to difficulty breathing and even death."

The family has been raising funds to help pay for the costs associated with her care. Before the Denver hospital said it would pay for the transport, the family had been on a campaign to raise $200,000 in American dollars to pay for the air ambulance. 

"Each day of hospitalization costs an average of $10,000," the family associate in Aspen said. "The travel insurance she had ran out a long time ago, and her hospital bills are only rising."

The family's fundraising goal is now directed at paying for the debt that has accumulated for Albuquerque Celada's time in the Denver hospital. The bill stands at $500,000 after 60 days of treatment. 

Donations can be made to Venmo under the account name @cacaucelada or venmo.com/u/cacaucelada.

"Claudia, known affectionately as Cacau, was on an exchange program when she was hospitalized on February 17, 2024, diagnosed with botulism. The disease, which has devastating neuroparalytic potential, plunged her family into unprecedented financial and emotional anguish," reported a Brazliian media outlet in Portuguese, translated to English for the purpose of this article.