Texas couple vacationing in Fiji dies from unknown illness

A Texas couple vacationing in Fiji died from an unknown illness, a U.S. Department of State spokesperson said Monday.

Michelle and David Paul, from Fort Worth, arrived in Fiji around May 22 after dropping off their 2-year-old son, Ayden, with Michelle’s parents, her father, Marc Calanog, told NBC News.

Some time after they arrived, Michelle Paul called her father to tell him she and her husband were experiencing vomiting and diarrhea, and their hands were numb. They went to a clinic and then to a hospital, where they were treated and then released. Calanog said David Paul was given IV bags to treat his symptoms, but Michelle Paul was not.

Then, Calanog learned that his son-in-law was in critical condition and was supposed to be transferred to a hospital in Australia, “but he never made it.”

On May 25, the day before the couple was supposed to leave Fiji to return home, Michelle Paul’s family received a call that she had died, her sister-in-law, Tracey Calanog, told NBC News.

Michelle and David Paul died within days of each other despite medical care, Fiji’s Ministry of Health and Medical Services said in a statement, according to The Associated Press. The ministry said public health measures were put in place but did not specify what those were.

The State Department spokesperson said they are monitoring local authorities’ investigation into the deaths.

The U.S. Embassy in Fiji said in a statement Tuesday that it had been working with the Fiji government, police, and health officials for more than a week to determine how the couple died. A statement from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said officials there were working with Fiji officials who were sending specimens to CDC labs for testing in an effort to find the causes of death.

Tracey Calanog said both Michelle Paul, an athlete who swam competitively in college, and David Paul, an Air Force veteran, were in good health before leaving for Fiji.

“Nobody’s telling me what was the cause of the death. And that’s very hard for me,” Marc Calanog, Michelle Paul’s father, said.

He said the couple had been anticipating the trip for a while and were excited when they left. He didn’t worry about their safety because they traveled often and had the proper immunizations, as far as he knew.

He said he has been telling friends that “‘our emotion is controlled because we believe my daughter and son-in-law is in a better place than us. They’re ahead of schedule than me.'”

In reality, though, he doesn’t feel so in control. “But I keep telling my wife we got to stay strong. Because we have a new job. Ayden. We have to take care of Ayden,” Calanog said.

In addition to the 2-year-old, David Paul had three other children from previous relationships, his sister-in-law said.

source: nbcnews.com