Brian Parrott, 50, from San Jacinto, Texas is now in the hospital struggling to survive after contracting flesh-eating bacteria from a recent beach trip to Galveston, Texas.
On June 12, Parrott took his family to the beach to enjoy a nice day out. But what should have been a lovely day turned quickly into a nightmare. Over the next few days after his family’s seashore adventure, Parrott started to become increasingly ill.
It began when Parrott started to vomit; his leg turned red and he noticed sores had also begun to pop up, and gradually progressed. The symptoms became so bad that he was taken by ambulance to the LBJ Hospital where doctors found that they could not salvage his right leg and amputated it below the knee in order to keep the virus from spreading.
“I don’t know how much more of this I can take,” his mother, Donna Dailey told the press.
At this point, doctors have not yet identified the bacteria that has caused the life-threatening infection, but it is believed to be vibrio. The flesh-eating bacteria can infect people’s bodies through uncooked shellfish and open wounds.
His mother chalks up his illness to not being aware of the bacteria lurking in the water. According to health officials, if you have an open wound, you should avoid salt water or wear a waterproof bandage if you go in. Additionally, warm water can add to the risk, both of which Parrott was unaware of when he took a dip. Parrott is also diabetic, which automatically ups his chance of developing vibrio.
“He was sitting at the side of the beach for quite a while with his granddaughter, then he went into the water for a couple of hours,” his mother said.
Doctors are uncertain if Parrott will need more of his leg amputated, or if he will even survive the ordeal. If he does, he will face a mounting pile of bills, as he was laid off around Christmas time. Although Parrott did get a new job, this job doesn’t provide health insurance. Readers are invited to contribute to financial relief through his GoFundMe page.
Sources:
NY Daily News