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Boy, 12, Loses Left Leg After Contracting Flesh-Eating Bacteria In Detroit

By Tara West
Published on: 12:31 PST, Aug 19, 2016

A 12-year-old boy from Detroit, Michigan, has lost his left leg after contracting a flesh-eating bacteria. The boy, Dakarai Moore, Jr., was playing sports last Thursday when he started feeling a strange sensation behind his left knee. Within just a few days, large blisters began appearing on his legs and he was taken to a nearby hospital for treatment. Sadly, just seven days after contracting the bacteria, doctors were forced to amputate the child’s left leg in a bid to save his life.

The Daily Mail reports that Dakarai Moore, Jr. had contracted the rare disease, necrotizing fasciitis. The flesh-eating bacteria is incredibly rare in patients under 21. Necrotizing fasciitis typically affects about 200,000 Americans per year, but typically clears itself up within a few days. However, sometimes the disease enters the body through a wound and can produce toxins that destroy the issues it comes into contact with which can cause loss of limbs or even death.

Because the disease is so rare, it took doctors days to determine what was causing the child’s strange condition. Therefore, Dakarai’s parents, Charmaine Norman and Dakarai Moore, say that they want to raise awareness about the disease which has claimed their son’s leg.

“We had no understanding about it. If you ask all the questions in the world, and 50 doctors can’t tell you anything for more than a week, we need more people to know about this.”

The parents say that Dakarai was completely fine and normal one day and then fighting for his life and limbs the next. According to the family’s support page, Dakarai first presented with discomfort behind his knee and a mild sore throat and headache. The parents say they sought medical treatment for the child but were sent home without medication or testing. However, the next day when the child started experiencing pain in his feet and legs followed by numbness, the doctors realized the extent of the problem.

“A week ago, Karai suffered from a sore throat and mild fever. His parents sought medical treatment. He was given no medication or testing and sent home. The next day, he complained of pain in his legs and feet. Upon arriving to the hospital, his legs and feet were numb and doctors couldn’t find a pulse. He was rushed into surgery to relieve pressure. After multiple surgeries, doctors decided to amputate young Dakarai’s left leg.”

https://www.facebook.com/careforkarai/posts/101817863604804

Dakarai, Sr. says that signing off on the paperwork to have his son’s leg amputated was the hardest thing he has ever had to do in his life.

“That’s the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do in my life today… sign the papers to get his left leg amputated.”

However, doctors say without the amputation the flesh-eating bacteria could have proven fatal. It was noted that the bacteria had spread to the right leg as well, but doctors were able to get the bacteria in the right leg under control. Dakarai is still under medical care and will have to adjust to his new life without his left leg.

https://www.facebook.com/dakarai.moore/posts/1365505250145458?pnref=story

The family says that doctors are still trying to determine how the child contracted the disease and are looking for the “entry point.” Meanwhile, the family says that they hope their son’s case will raise awareness about the signs and symptoms of the disease and that doctors and the general public will become more familiar with the bacteria in a bid to save other children from amputations.

[Image via Facebook/ Care for Karai]

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