Family account · Australia · Empty Nose Syndrome
Sam Treffry’s family shared his story after learning that he had been living with Empty Nose Syndrome following earlier nasal procedures. This page preserves his brother’s account, Sam’s reported symptoms and the family’s call for greater ENS awareness.
Sam Treffry was 34 and lived in Australia. His brother’s account says Sam had undergone several nasal procedures as a teenager and that the family only learned later that he had been living with an Empty Nose Syndrome diagnosis. The account focuses especially on sleep disruption, persistent exhaustion and the gradual loss of study and work capacity.
Sam passed away on October 1, 2024. His brother later shared Sam’s story publicly in the hope that greater awareness could help other people facing similar problems.
Before illness dominated: a family memory of Sam
Sam’s brother recalled a boating trip they took together in 2013 at Wolli Creek near Tempe station. Sam had acquired a boat and suggested rowing down the creek toward Nanny Goat Hill.
He remembered a beautiful day spent navigating through the mangroves, playing chess and reaching an island where bats rested in the trees and dense leaves formed cave-like structures around them.
For Sam’s brother, the trip became one of his most cherished memories — a reminder of Sam’s personality, their time together and the life they shared before his later health problems became overwhelming.
Nasal surgery history and Sam’s reported Empty Nose Syndrome diagnosis
According to his brother, the family learned from Sam’s final written message that he had been diagnosed with Empty Nose Syndrome. The family had not previously known about the diagnosis or the extent of the difficulties he was facing.
His brother wrote that Sam had undergone several nasal procedures during his teenage years to address sinus problems and correct his septum. The family later connected those procedures with the ENS diagnosis reported by Sam.
The exact duration of Sam’s awareness of the diagnosis is unclear from the family account. His brother believed it may have been relatively recent and described a rapid decline in Sam’s physical functioning, sleep and emotional wellbeing during the period that followed.
His brother’s account emphasizes that the family did not know Sam was living with ENS and therefore did not understand how severely his health and daily life had been affected.
Sleep disruption, fatigue and loss of work and university capacity
Before his health declined, Sam had been working in a hospital and a hotel while studying for a degree in town planning. His brother described him as appearing outwardly functional even while struggling with persistent tiredness.
His brother also described a longer period of low self-esteem and attempts to cope with his difficulties on his own. The account presents these problems as part of a broader decline that followed years of nasal and breathing difficulties.
Family tribute and the decision to raise ENS awareness
Sam’s brother wrote movingly about wishing Sam had reached out and about the love and care the family would have given him if they had understood what he was facing.
“I love you, Sam. I miss you more than words can express.”
He described holding on to memories of Sam and wanting his brother’s story to have a lasting purpose by helping other families recognize Empty Nose Syndrome and the potential seriousness of persistent symptoms after nasal surgery.
Raising awareness about ENS
Sam’s brother also shared the story with the Empty Nose Syndrome Awareness community. He explained that the family’s goal was to make other people aware of Sam’s experience and encourage greater attention to ENS symptoms, diagnosis and support.
In that post, the family also made allegations concerning Sam’s earlier surgeon and previous medical care. Because those statements come from the family’s account, they should be understood as reported allegations rather than independently established conclusions on this page.
Sam’s loss remains deeply painful for his family. By sharing his story, they hope that people with severe symptoms after nasal procedures will be recognized earlier and receive meaningful medical and personal support.
Original sources and supporting material
The links below preserve the original material behind this page and allow readers to review the family account directly.
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