Flesh-Eating Bacteria: Georgia Mom And Ex-Marine Faces Quadruple Amputation
Flesh-eating bacteria is a terrifying prospect for anyone, but for a Georgia mom of two — and former U.S. Marine — it could mean a quadruple amputation.
Georgia resident Cindy Martinez, 34, is fighting the battle of her life, and hopefully some of the training she received as a soldier can help her survive flesh-eating bacteria. It all started with strong shoulder pain last month, and on May 25, the young mother of two was hospitalized and has been there ever since.
To watch his beautiful, vibrant wife of 13 years bruised and swollen is heartbreaking for her husband, David Martinez, who has stayed by her side day and night. Martinez spoke of his wife to WSBTV.
“I love her more than ever before,” said the distraught husband, who met his wife while also in the Marines said.
David is a Gwinnett County police officer and has taken a leave of absence to care for Cindy and their two young children, ages 5 and 2.
Martinez said his wife was diagnosed with the flesh-eating bacteria disease called necrotizing fasciitis and myositis. She has undergone four surgeries to remove dead tissue and muscle at the Gwinnett County Medical Center but is still at risk of quadruple amputations of her hands and feet if the swelling doesn’t come down.
According to a GoFundMe page established for the family, Cindy went to the Emergency Room on May 25 complaining of severe shoulder blade pain. The following day, she had two life-saving surgeries as the flesh-eating bacteria was affecting her entire body, which was shutting down.
Two days later, Cindy had two more surgeries for the flesh-eating bacteria affecting her. After a few more harrowing days, she began to make some progress. However, she is by no means out of the woods yet, according to her husband. Family and friends are begging people to pray for her.
Martinez says Cindy is known as “The Miracle Girl” or “Miracle Child” in the hospital because of the way she is fighting to stay alive. He also says he explains everything the doctors tell him about her prognosis.
On Tuesday, he posted a video on Facebook for Cindy and brought the children to visit her in the hospital. It was the first time she had seen them in two weeks, and it motivated her to keep fighting for her life.
Doctors are perplexed at how Cindy contracted the dangerous flesh-eating bacteria that has turned her life and that of her family’s upside down. David is speaking to the media to bring attention to their plight.
[Image via GoFundMe]
