But how Chris was exposed remains a mystery.<\/p>\n
Know the news with the 7NEWS app: Download today The father-of-three and his wife Nikki have spent years seeking answers after Chris began experiencing frightening neurological symptoms, including a seizure and hallucinations.<\/p>\n \u201cWe got married in 2019 \u2014 it was a beautiful, magical Harry Potter-themed wedding,\u201d Nikki told 7NEWS.com.au.<\/p>\n \u201cShortly after that, things started to go wrong.\u201d<\/p>\n Doctors initially attributed Chris\u2019s rapid decline to functional neurological disorder (FND) \u2014 a diagnosis the couple never fully accepted.<\/p>\n \u201cI told the neurologist I thought it could be a neurotoxin,\u201d Nikki said.<\/p>\n \u201cBut he didn\u2019t even see a reason to test for it.\u201d<\/p>\n Years of appointments followed as Chris\u2019s condition continuing to deteriorate.<\/p>\n It wasn\u2019t until a doctor in Toowoomba ran a toxicology test that the real cause emerged: cadmium \u2014 at dangerously high levels.<\/p>\n \u201cThey found 6.9 micrograms per litre in his blood,\u201d Nikki said.<\/p>\n \u201cPoison control was automatically notified but we were told it was probably because he used to smoke.\u201d<\/p>\n Cadmium is a heavy metal found naturally in tobacco plants, meaning smokers typically have higher baseline levels. But Chris\u2019s numbers kept rising \u2014 fast.<\/p>\n \u201cA year later, we got him tested again \u2014 it had jumped to 17.3 micrograms per litre,\u201d Nikki said.<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s when we knew it was killing him.\u201d<\/p>\n Chris had previously worked in a steel factory in Canada, one of the few potential sources of cadmium exposure<\/a> the couple can recall.<\/p>\n Chris has urged anyone who works in factories to \u201ctake your safety seriously\u201d.<\/p>\n \u201cWe believe he was exposed there and it\u2019s just been sitting in his liver,\u201d Nikki said.<\/p>\n \u201cNow it\u2019s slowly leaching into his system and it\u2019s slowly killing him.\u201d<\/p>\n With no known cure for cadmium poisoning, Chris\u2019s condition is terminal.<\/p>\n Doctors have admitted they don\u2019t know how to help.<\/p>\n Chris now requires special nutritional liquids to keep him from starving to death, as the poisoning makes absorbing normal nutrients through food almost impossible.<\/p>\n His diet is carefully monitored, with a danger of developing refeeding syndrome \u2014 a dangerous metabolic complication that occurs when a malnourished person resumes eating or receives nutritional support, causing severe shifts in fluids and electrolytes, especially potassium, magnesium, and phosphate.<\/p>\n This can lead to life-threatening conditions affecting the heart, brain, and muscles, including cardiac failure, arrhythmias, seizures, and respiratory distress.<\/p>\n \u201cPalliative care has stepped in to manage his symptoms, they\u2019re doing what they can,\u201d Nikki said.<\/p>\n \u201cHe has a gastroscope coming up, and they\u2019re being extremely cautious. They don\u2019t know what the cadmium might have done to his tissues internally.\u201d<\/p>\n Chris now relies on a walker to get around, and the family is urgently trying to source a custom wheelchair to keep him mobile \u2014 a costly challenge for a household now surviving on a single income.<\/p>\n \u201cHis supplements just to keep him going are incredibly expensive,\u201d Nikki said.<\/p>\n \u201cTo get him a wheelchair that fits properly \u2014 he\u2019s really tall, it needs to be custom-made. Even his walker takes up half the house.\u201d<\/p>\n The Wilson family has launched a GoFundMe campaign not only to help with medical costs, but also to fulfil one of Chris\u2019s final wishes to see his best friend from Canada one last time.<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s about creating an opportunity for love, support and shared strength during a very fragile time in my life,\u201d Chris said.<\/p>\n Any additional funds raised will go towards creating lasting memories with his children, River, Willow and Julian, and keeping Chris as comfortable as possible in the time he has left.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Dramatic rescue after man plunges 18m into old brick pit<\/p>\n 1 min read<\/p>\n![\"Download](\"https:\/\/7news.com.au\/static\/media\/right-red-arrow.92bca5db.svg\"){kind=icon}
<\/a><\/p>\n![\"Chris](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/b4aead5f4f3c5419aec869eb04bfa23510cdbcdd-16x9-x0y0w1280h720.jpg\")
Chris is now dangerously underweight from the poisoning, with symptoms beginning just after he and wife Nikki were married in 2019. Credit: Supplied<\/p>\n![\"Chris](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/87f07881732aa7d35d21d2cdda8ba9ec2a99c448-16x9-x0y0w1280h720.jpg\")
Chris and his family, and now in hospital with his youngest child. Credit: Supplied<\/p>\n