Horse Whisperer author faces lengthy dialysis after eating deadly mushrooms

[okarol]

Horse Whisperer author Nicholas Evans faces lengthy dialysis to avoid kidney failure after eating deadly mushrooms

By Olinka Koster
Last updated at 9:19 AM on 03rd September 2008

The best-selling author of The Horse Whisperer faces a 'long haul' of kidney dialysis after eating highly-toxic mushrooms.

Nicholas Evans, whose book was turned into a film starring Robert Redford, picked them while walking in woodland with his family.

The millionaire author was taken to hospital where he was given dialysis to combat the effects of the rare Cortinarius Speciosissimus mushrooms, which can cause kidney failure.
Author Nicholas Evans and wife Charlotte

Author Nicholas Evans and wife Charlotte are seriously ill in hospital after eating 'destroying angel' mushrooms they picked on a woodland walk

His wife Charlotte, her brother Sir Alastair Gordon Cumming and his wife Louisa, were also admitted to hospital.

In a 1979 case of poisoning by the mushroom, two people were so badly affected that they needed kidney transplants.

Last night Mr Evans's spokesman said the full extent of the harm to the 58-year-old writer and his family remains unclear. They are still being treated in hospital.

'Dialysis is the kind of treatment given at the earliest to get toxins out of the body. The medical staff got them on dialysis very quickly,' the spokesman said.
mushrooms

'Particularly with this sort of mushroom poisoning, very often people don't realise for quite some time that anything is wrong.

'It's been the best part of 30 years since there was a poisoning case involving this particular mushroom.

'The specialists at the hospital have done brilliantly, contacting people all over the world who have experience of this.

'A friend who visited them at the weekend said they were all four walking about and were cheerful and positive.
The Horse Whisperer

Hit novel The Horse Whisperer, also a film with Robert Redford and Kristin Scott Thomas

'They are in good heart, but realise there's going to be a long haul of dialysis before they can see if there are long-term effects on their kidney function.'

Mr Evans and his 50-year-old wife, who live near Totnes, Devon, became ill ten days ago while staying at her brother's 12,000-acre Altyre estate in Moray, North-West Scotland.

They had picked the mushrooms in woodland and cooked and ate them later on.

The next day they all became ill and are now in the renal unit at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary.

It was established that among the mushrooms they had eaten were Cortinarius Speciosissimus, the toxins of which attack the kidneys in particular. Samples have been sent for analysis.

A family friend said: 'They have picked mushrooms in the woods before and thought these were safe ones.

'They are normally very careful about picking them. The big worry is that others could make the same mistake with the same disastrous consequences.'

Mr Evans was struggling with £65,000 of debt when Robert Redford bought the film rights to The Horse Whisperer for £3million in 1995.

The adaptation, starring Redford and Kristin Scott-Thomas, was released three years later and was a box office success. The book itself has sold 15million copies worldwide.

Mr Evans has previously overcome skin cancer. He has four children including a six-year-old son, Finlay, with Charlotte, his second wife. Mrs Evans is a songwriter who wrote a hit record for pop group the Sugababes.

Mary Gibby, director of science at the Royal Botanic Garden in Edinburgh, said: 'One of the known results of poisoning from this particular species is kidney failure.

'If treatment is not received early enough, that can obviously result in death.

'It has become more common for people to go foraging in recent years and if they are not sure what mushrooms have got, they need to get them identified.

'The basic rule is if in doubt, don't eat it.'

Find this story at www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1051634/Horse-Whisperer-author-Nicholas-Evans-faces-lengthy-dialysis-avoid-kidney-failure-eating-deadly-mushrooms.html

[boxman55]

Nasty little buggers...Boxman

[flip]

They look almost like the morels that I love to hunt and eat.

[okarol]

Horse Whisperer author Nicholas Evans has 'kidney failure' after mushroom poison hell

Sep 22 2008 By Lachlan Mackinnon

MILLIONAIRE writer Nicholas Evans has been left with "absolutely no kidney function" after eating poisonous mushrooms on a holiday in the Highlands.

The author of The Horse Whisperer needs regular dialysis to keep him alive. Doctors don't know if he will ever get over his ordeal.

Nicholas, 58, fell ill last month after eating "fool's webcap" mushrooms on a family break at his brother-in-law's estate near Forres, Moray.

His wife Charlotte, brother-in-law Sir Alastair Gordon-Cumming and Sir Alastair's wife Louisa were also poisoned. All four victims spent three weeks in hospital.

Sir Alastair, 54, said yesterday: "I have absolutely no kidney function and neither does my brother-in-law.

"My wife and sister haven't got much.

"Basically, we are all in a very bad way, except the men came off worse because we ate more mushrooms. It has been absolutely dreadful for all of us.We are all extremely lucky to be alive."

Sir Alastair, laird of the Altyre estate and chief of the Clan Cumming, added: "The doctors cannot say for sure what the long-term effects will be. They are hoping it will become clear over the next few months.

"Very little is really known about the effects in the long term. Unfortunately, there isn't a book that can be consulted.

"Clearly, the doctors are a bit more knowledgeable now about it because of the effect it has had on us.

"In the meantime, we are just coping day by day, hour by hour."

Nicholas and Charlotte, 50, are being treated in Devon, where they own a 14th century mansion. Sir Alastair, 54, and Louisa, 46, go to Dr Gray's Hospital in Elgin three days a week for dialysis.

"We were warned it would be like this when we got out of hospital but it still comes as a shock," the laird admitted.

"It is exhausting for both of us. We are just trying to live a restricted life.

"It is not easy going from being relatively fit people to invalids in the space of a few weeks.

"I can't let myself think of what the future holds for us.

"My sister and brother-in-law are now back in Devon and are having to go through the same process.

"It is a worrying time for us all."

Nicholas and Charlotte have a son, Finlay, eight. Sir Alastair and Louisa's three kids, William, 15, Sophie, 13, and Kit, 10, are at boarding school.

Sir Alastair said: "Fortunately, the children are away from home. We are managing with the help of my in-laws, who are staying with us, and with the aid of good friends who pop in and out."

Nicholas shot to fame after Robert Redford bought The Horse Whisperer, his unfinished first novel, for £3million in 1995 and turned it into a hit movie. He has written three other books.


http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/scottish-news/2008/09/22/horse-whisperer-author-nicholas-evans-has-kidney-failure-after-mushroom-poison-hell-86908-20747673/

[donnia]

Wow!  Sad.

[okarol]

Poison victim awaits transplant

Published:  24 September, 2008


LOCAL land-owner Sir Alistair Gordon Cumming, who was taken to hospital along with other members of his family after eating poisonous mushrooms, has revealed that he now faces a kidney transplant and is reliant on life-saving dialysis treatment.

Speaking to the 'Gazette' last week, he said that he was taking things one day at a time after being released from hospital in Aberdeen, where he received life-saving treatment.

Sir Alistair (54) was admitted to hospital in Elgin on August 24 along with his wife, Lady Louisa (46); his sister, Charlotte (50), and her husband, Nicholas Evans (58), best known as author of 'The Horse Whisperer', after they picked, cooked and ate mushrooms on the Altyre estate.

The men were rushed to Aberdeen two days later to be put on dialysis after their situation worsened, followed by their wives the following day. All were given life-saving dialysis treatment.

A spokesman for NHS Grampian said that Sir Alistair and his wife were released from hospital on Friday, September 12, although they are receiving ongoing dialysis treatment at the Renal Unit at Dr Gray's Hospital. Mr and Mrs Evans have also been released from Aberdeen.

Sir Alistair, who is a direct descendant of William the Conqueror and chief of the Clan Comyn, inherited the 12,000-acre estate six years ago. He lives there with his wife and their three children: William (15), Sophie (13) and Kit (10).

Sir Alistair said that he and Lady Louisa were looking forward to seeing their children, who were due to return home from boarding school at the weekend.

Sir Alistair said that he was finding it tough to adjust to his new situation, which requires ongoing dialysis, and he now faces a wait for a kidney transplant.

"Some days I feel like talking and others I just don't," he said. "Luckily none of our children ate the things, and my wife is doing better, but I don't think that my kidneys have enough function to come through this. So it is probably transplant time for me."

The family gathered and ate toxic Cortinarius Speciosissimus mushrooms. The toxins are known to attack the kidneys and can prove fatal, although no-one has died from a poisoning case of this type in Britain for over 30 years.

Sir Alistair said he had been approached by several publications wanting him to highlight the dangers of eating poisonous mushrooms, and was considering raising awareness to stop the same thing happening to somebody else.

"I am quite keen on raising awareness," he said. "The more people that know about this, the better. I've just got a bit of a battle on my hands at the moment."

http://www.forres-gazette.co.uk/news/fullstory.php/aid/3545/Poison_victim_awaits_transplant.html