The Country
  • The Country home
  • Latest news
  • Audio & podcasts
  • Opinion
  • Dairy farming
  • Sheep & beef farming
  • Rural business
  • Rural technology
  • Rural life
  • Listen on iHeart radio

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • Coast & Country News
  • Opinion
  • Dairy farming
  • Sheep & beef farming
  • Horticulture
  • Animal health
  • Rural business
  • Rural technology
  • Rural life

Media

  • Podcasts
  • Video

Weather

  • Kaitaia
  • Whāngarei
  • Dargaville
  • Auckland
  • Thames
  • Tauranga
  • Hamilton
  • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Tokoroa
  • Te Kuiti
  • Taumurunui
  • Taupō
  • Gisborne
  • New Plymouth
  • Napier
  • Hastings
  • Dannevirke
  • Whanganui
  • Palmerston North
  • Levin
  • Paraparaumu
  • Masterton
  • Wellington
  • Motueka
  • Nelson
  • Blenheim
  • Westport
  • Reefton
  • Kaikōura
  • Greymouth
  • Hokitika
  • Christchurch
  • Ashburton
  • Timaru
  • Wānaka
  • Oamaru
  • Queenstown
  • Dunedin
  • Gore
  • Invercargill

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / The Country

Stock manager laid low by mystery illness

By Alice Scott
Otago Daily Times·
4 Dec, 2019 02:45 AM3 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

After a mystery illness in 2018, stock manager Leo Hamilton has been focussing on fitness and dog training. Photo / Alice Scott

After a mystery illness in 2018, stock manager Leo Hamilton has been focussing on fitness and dog training. Photo / Alice Scott

Life has taken on a new perspective for stock manager Leo Hamilton after a mystery illness put him in the intensive care unit at Dunedin Hospital with no eyesight nor any feeling below his nose.

In 2018, things were ticking along nicely for Hamilton. He had just proposed to partner Lanni Shaw and was working on a farm in the Te Anau basin.

"I started to get strange tingles up my legs and into my back and over the course of about four days it just got progressively worse with a lot of pain".

The details after that are a bit sketchy for Hamilton.

However, Shaw said the illness made him lose his eyesight, he could not speak and had no control over body functions.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"It got pretty rough, that's for sure" she said.

A diagnosis had doctors scratching their heads but plasma exchanges and anti-viral drugs stopped him slipping further.

When he stabilised, Hamilton was moved to the Burwood spinal unit in Christchurch where he relapsed three times before finally improving and learning how to walk again.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Leo Hamilton last year in hospital recovering from a mystery illness which had him paralysed from the nose down. Photo / Lanni Shaw
Leo Hamilton last year in hospital recovering from a mystery illness which had him paralysed from the nose down. Photo / Lanni Shaw

Shaw said considering the severity of his symptoms, the recovery was quick.

"He got sick in the August and by November he was out of hospital and back at work on a tractor" she said.

"One week of sitting around the house when I got out of hospital and I was going mad" Hamilton said.

"I needed to get back into work, even if it just meant light duties".

Discover more

The Country and Will to Live launch cookbook

18 Nov 01:14 AM

Dr Jacqueline Rowarth: Is organic food healthier?

27 Nov 11:00 PM

The Country's Countdown to Christmas

01 Dec 07:30 PM

Jacinda Ardern: There is no rural/urban divide

04 Dec 12:00 AM

The couple have since moved to Central Otago where Hamilton works as a stock manager on Hills Creek Station and Shaw has recently started a new sales role for a Ranfurly veterinary practice.

Regaining his fitness has been a priority for Hamilton and he has plans to get stuck into the dog trial circuit this season.

"For sure it puts things in perspective. We've just got to live our best life and not take anything for granted".

As far as a diagnosis goes, doctors are still unsure.

"The last conversation they had with me when I was at Burwood was that it might just all be psychological. That was the day I packed my gear and discharged myself".

Whatever the illness was, Shaw said they were happy to put it behind them.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"We are keeping positive and looking forward to what lies ahead" she said.

Save

    Share this article

Latest from The Country

The Country

'We love you Jocko': Hundreds pay tribute to Stewart Island hunting accident victim

The Country

City to Farm - how leftovers are giving back to the land

The Country

The Country: Tasman farmer on flooding aftermath


Sponsored

Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from The Country

'We love you Jocko': Hundreds pay tribute to Stewart Island hunting accident victim
The Country

'We love you Jocko': Hundreds pay tribute to Stewart Island hunting accident victim

Jock Davies was remembered for his infectious humour, caring nature and great strength.

14 Jul 04:21 AM
City to Farm - how leftovers are giving back to the land
The Country

City to Farm - how leftovers are giving back to the land

14 Jul 03:16 AM
The Country: Tasman farmer on flooding aftermath
The Country

The Country: Tasman farmer on flooding aftermath

14 Jul 02:16 AM


Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky
Sponsored

Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky

06 Jul 09:47 PM
NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • NZ Herald e-editions
  • Daily puzzles & quizzes
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Subscribe to the NZ Herald newspaper
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP