Tim Ramsay collapsed and passed away just days after starting Saxenda
A father tragically died only days after beginning a weight-loss injection he had hoped would help him ‘confidently walk his daughter down the aisle,’ leaving his family now seeking answers and explanations.
In 2022, Tim Ramsay, a truck driver from South Australia, decided he wanted to lose weight before his daughter’s wedding day to feel proud and comfortable walking her down the aisle.
Due to the demands of his job, Tim found it challenging to maintain a healthy diet and get enough physical activity. Spending so much time on the road made sticking to a fitness routine or eating balanced meals difficult.
At 58, Tim’s doctor recommended trying a weight-loss medication, suggesting it could help him feel ready and at ease for his role in his daughter’s big day.
His daughter Elyse shared with 60 Minutes Australia that doctors had said the weight-loss injection would benefit “all aspects of [his] life and protect all [his] organs.”
In November 2022, Tim started using the Saxenda injection to support his weight-loss journey.
However, things took a sudden turn as his health began to decline shortly after starting the treatment.
Tim collapsed and died in 2022
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Saxenda is an injectable prescription medication used to help ‘adults with excess weight (BMI ≥27) who also have weight-related medical problems or obesity (BMI ≥30), and children aged 12-17 years with a body weight above 132 pounds (60 kg) and obesity to help them lose weight and keep the weight off,’ as stated on the company’s website.
Less than three weeks after he began the treatment, Tim sent a voice message to his daughter while he was working, delivering goods in his truck.
“It’s dad here. I’m down at the depot in the truck. Would someone be able to come down and take me to the hospital please?”
In an interview with 60 Minutes Australia, Elyse remarked that her father’s voice sounded different in that message—unlike his usual tone.
Following this, Tim was admitted to the hospital due to severe stomach pain, but despite multiple tests, doctors were unable to find any specific cause for his symptoms.
He was sent home, but later that evening, the pain in Tim’s stomach intensified, and he collapsed in the bathroom at his home.
Tim’s family want answers
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Despite 40 minutes of CPR, doctors were unable to save Tim, and a coroner later recorded his cause of death as undetermined.
His grieving family is now determined to find out what led to his untimely passing.
Tim’s wife, Sue, expressed her frustration, saying: “I don’t believe that anybody should die without an explanation, you just don’t expire, there has got to be a reason for Tim’s death,”
Tim’s daughter, Elyse, added: “19 days between his first injection and the day he left us, alarm bells in our heads, in the TGA’s heads, and the coroner’s head should be ringing.”