How healthy dad’s common cold ended with a catastrophic stroke just days later – as his shocked wife issues warning to Aussies

Guilherme Bastos spent days battling what seemed like a bad cold.

The 38-year-old developed flu-like symptoms and migraines that grew steadily worse, prompting him and his partner, Erin, to visit their GP. 

On May 8, 2025, he was given medication and a referral for scans, but before the appointment could be arranged, everything changed. 

Overnight, the infection spread to Guil’s brain and triggered a stroke. He was rushed to hospital, where he remained until July 1. 

Doctors later admitted there was little anyone could have done. Guil’s severe sinus infection had rapidly developed into meningitis, causing brain swelling that led to the stroke – an extremely rare chain of events. 

For Erin, knowing it couldn’t have been prevented does little to ease the memory of that night. 

‘I thought it was just a cold that would clear itself because he’d experienced migraines in the past, and we both thought it would just pass,’ Erin told the Daily Mail.

‘As the days went on, it was actually getting worse and worse, and I was becoming quite worried.’

Like many people with recurring migraines or sinus infections, Guil’s symptoms initially felt familiar. 

He’d had headaches and sinusitis before. Even the worsening pain seemed in line with illnesses he’d overcome with rest and medication. 

‘There were no signs that meant Guil had to come to hospital earlier because he’d had migraines in the past, and it’s something he would usually get over,’ Erin said.

‘When we saw the doctor on the Thursday evening, they gave us a referral for a scan, but by that time the imaging clinic had already closed.

‘Early the next morning was when he actually had the stroke. It was just bad timing all round.’

Looking back, Erin recalls how odd his illness became in the final hours; what began as a cold escalated to severe migraines, confusion and delirium. 

‘He was very sick leading up to the actual event,’ she said. ‘He couldn’t really talk, was in and out of sleeping, and had massive migraines.’

Guil slept on the lounge because he felt unwell, while Erin stayed with their young son. During the night, unfamiliar sounds woke her.

‘I could hear some strange noises, so I got up to see what it was,’ she recalled.

‘It was actually Guil bouncing off the walls. He was losing his balance because he needed to go to the bathroom.’

She helped him, then noticed something worse. 

‘I noticed that his face had started to droop and his arm was completely numb,’ she said.

‘He’d already tried to go to the bathroom earlier and had basically crawled there himself because he couldn’t get himself up.’

Until then, Erin hadn’t realised she was seeing stroke symptoms. 

‘I felt panicked and scared, and just in a state of despair, because I had absolutely no idea what was going on,’ she said.

‘It wasn’t until I gave him some water and noticed that it was dribbling out of one side of his face, and his face had drooped, that I thought it was probably a stroke.’

Paramedics rushed Guil to hospital through Sydney’s peak hour while Erin watched from the ambulance as crews called ahead. 

‘You see the line of cars in front of you, and you just want them all to get out of the way,’ she said. ‘Guil was pretty much passed out at that stage. He had no idea what was going on.’

At the same time, Erin arranged childcare for their toddler, contacted family, and informed Guil’s employer – all while processing the possibility he might not survive. 

After arriving at hospital, a team of doctors surrounded Guil, trying to identify the cause of his neurological collapse. 

‘I could just see so many people in the room talking, looking over scans, and trying to investigate what had happened,’ Erin said.

‘They knew there was swelling in the brain, but they didn’t know what had caused it.’

It took almost a week to confirm the diagnosis. 

And for the next two months, Guil remained in hospital as neurology, infectious diseases, physio and occupational therapy teams oversaw his recovery. 

He also developed complications needing sinus surgery and another spell in intensive care. 

Remarkably, Guil remembers almost nothing of the ordeal. 

‘I don’t remember how bad the pain was at all,’ he said.

‘I don’t remember anything leading up to the stroke. I don’t remember being sick in the days before.

‘A lot of things I’m hearing are actually the first time I’ve heard Erin describe them.’

Erin believes the pain was extreme – unlike anything he’d had before.

‘Based on how he reacted, I would say the pain was significantly worse than what he’d experienced previously,’ she said.

While Guil worked to regain physical strength, Erin went into ‘survival mode’. Unable to change what was happening, she focused on small, manageable tasks.

‘I describe it as living in a bubble,’ she said.

‘I just focused on one day at a time and one task at a time.’

She continued working from home, dropped their son Liam at daycare each morning, and spent visiting hours at the hospital before returning home to repeat it all. 

‘I think I just lived in a state of denial. It wasn’t until I’d have some time on my own that I’d break down,’ she said.

Another challenge few saw was that Guil’s family live overseas in Brazil, so Erin had to update relatives who spoke little English – careful not to worry them before doctors had answers.  

‘The constant communication was exhausting,’ she said.

‘You don’t want to worry people unnecessarily, but you also don’t want to give them the wrong information.’

Through it all, the couple’s community rallied around them.

Friends delivered meals, helped with childcare, ran errands, and looked after their home. His football teammates visited often, while Castle Hill United organised fundraising to help the family through the lengthy rehabilitation ahead.

This support did not surprise Erin. She says it reflects who Guil is. 

‘Guil is the love of my life,’ she said.

They met online ‘like most millennials’ and quickly realised their connection was different. 

‘As soon as we started chatting, I think we both knew it was different from anyone else we’d spoken to before,’ she said. ‘We were pretty much inseparable.’

She describes Guil as someone who draws people in through kindness, not just charisma. 

‘He’s just the life of the party. He radiates energy, and everyone gravitates towards him because he’s so caring and loving.’

At home, Guil is a hands-on father to their son Liam, who shares his dad’s love of music. 

‘Guil plays drums with him and introduces him to The Beatles and Led Zeppelin,’ Erin said.

Today, Guil has regained leg movement and can walk short distances, though with a limp. 

His right arm remains paralysed, and he has just started intensive physio and occupational therapy as doctors work to rebuild strength. 

Looking back, Erin avoids framing the experience as one where warning signs were missed. 

Instead, she hopes people realise how quickly ordinary illnesses can become serious, and that persistent symptoms deserve proper medical attention. 

‘I think if there’s one lesson, it’s not to endure signs of sickness just because you’ve had them before,’ she said.

‘But for us, the doctors have said there really wasn’t enough time to stop what happened.

‘It was just one thing leading to another, leading to another, and it all happened so quickly.’

Now, the family focus is not on why it happened – but on supporting Guil’s recovery, one step at a time, surrounded by those who love him.