Handshake Saves Man's Life

A restaurant owner's life was saved when he shook hands with a doctor. The doctor noted that the man's hand felt "spongy," a symptom of a rare killer disease.

Mark Gurrieri was working in his restaurant when he had the chance of meeting Dr Chris Britt, a meeting that will forever change his life. When they shook hands Dr. Britt noticed Gurrieri's hand felt "spongy" then looked up to spot Gurrieri's large features which set off alarm bells in the doctor's head. As the Daily Mail reports:

Dr Britt recognised the symptoms of acromegaly, which is a tumour at the base of the brain which can cause blindness, diabetes, blood pressure problems and, if left untreated, premature death.

The doctor urged 36-year-old Gurrieri to see make an appointment for further testing. Tests revealed that Gurrieri did have the rare disease which affects just three in a million people. Gurrieri was surprised to find he had such a life-threatening disease. He thought his symptoms were just part of aging. As the Daily Mail reports:

"I never thought for a minute it was a condition I had. It came as a complete surprise to me.

Acromegaly is a tumor on the pituitary gland which is responsible for producing the growth hormone. The tumor can cause giantism in children as well as blindness, heart or kidney failure, and arthritis. Gurrieri had surgery in January to remove the two-centimeter tumor that was growing at the base of his brain. Doctors were able to remove 92 per cent of the tumor and Gurrieri now takes medication and is closely monitored in order to keep the tumor under control. As the Daily Mail reports:

He said: "My mum thinks Chris is my guardian angel. I could have lost my sight or had a number of other ailments so I think I owe my life to Chris - and a few meals at the restaurant!"