When Kahaone "Kaha" Kelau’s headaches escalated into seizures and strokes after he returned to Hawaii last year, his family went from doctor to doctor looking for answers. The eventual diagnosis was as rare as it was devastating: valley fever that had spread to his brain. The 21-year-old is now largely unable to speak or move, communicates with an eye-tracking device, and remains in long-term care in Phoenix. His mother says getting him to a specialized center in Arizona ran close to six figures, and it is still unclear whether he will ever be able to return home.
Laura Kelau says she stumbled on an online video from a valley fever survivor that mentioned a Mayo Clinic specialist, which quickly became the family’s lifeline. They arranged an air medevac flight to Phoenix that cost about $96,000, according to ABC15. Once Kaha arrived, Mayo staff tried to bring a bit of home to him, even organizing a luau-themed birthday celebration in his hospital room. The family has launched a GoFundMe campaign to help cover mounting medical and living expenses so they can remain near his care team.
Specialized Care At Mayo's Cocci Clinic
Mayo Clinic's Cocci Clinic in Arizona pulls together infectious disease, pulmonary and neurology experts to manage especially complex cases of coccidioidomycosis, according to Mayo Clinic. That kind of coordinated approach matters because federal surveillance shows that although most infections stay in the lungs, about 5 percent spread elsewhere in the body and nervous system involvement brings serious complications, per the CDC's MMWR. For patients like Kelau, these specialty teams can provide advanced treatments and procedures that many hospitals do not routinely offer.
New Tests Could Speed Diagnosis
One persistent challenge with valley fever is how long it can take to get the right diagnosis. Researchers at Arizona State University and Mayo Clinic have been working to change that by creating a rapid lateral-flow blood test. ASU News reported that the team co-founded a company, Cactus Bio, to bring a 10-minute test to market, and company materials lay out clinical development and manufacturing milestones through 2026. If successful, faster point-of-care testing could cut down on misdiagnoses and help patients start antifungal treatment much sooner.
What Phoenix-Area Residents Should Know
Valley fever often looks a lot like a run-of-the-mill respiratory bug at first, with cough, fever and fatigue, so it can be easy to miss. Clinicians in areas where the fungus is common are urged to test for it when symptoms linger after dusty exposure, according to Mayo Clinic. National surveillance data show Arizona has shouldered most of the recent increase in cases, with incidence in the state roughly doubling from 2005 through 2022, and Arizona and California accounting for the vast majority of U.S. infections, the CDC's MMWR found. If you develop a persistent dry cough, fever or joint pain after being out in dusty conditions, it may be worth asking your provider about testing for valley fever.
How To Help The Kelau Family
The Kelau family is asking for help with medical bills and day-to-day expenses while Kaha remains in Phoenix under specialist care, and local coverage has shared links to their donation page and updates. Hawaii News Now previously chronicled the family’s months-long struggle with insurers to get approval for out-of-state specialty treatment, highlighting why some patients end up traveling to Arizona for care. Laura Kelau has said that Hawaii does not have the specialized resources needed to manage her son’s condition, and the family expects to stay close to his Phoenix care team for the foreseeable future.
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