Six-year-old Chance Wade had a cut on his leg. Many wouldn't think of it as a big deal since kids normally have "boo-boos." However, this cut was different. A few days later, the doctor laid the news to Chance's parents that their son had developed a rare and dangerous infection called necrotizing fasciitis.
Around December 2018, Chance developed a limp and leg pain because of a cut on his leg. After a trip to the doctor, he was diagnosed with strep throat, a bacterial infection characterized by an itchy and sore throat.
Nobody thought of it as a big deal, until Chance became admitted to the hospital a few days later. Apparently, it wasn't just a strep throat. The boy had developed a rare and potentially fatal bacterial infection that had begun killing off the tissue in both of his legs.
What is Necrotizing Fasciitis?
The Center for Disease Control and Prevention describes the condition as a rare bacterial infection that quickly proliferates in the body. It can essentially cause death. Precise diagnosis, fast antibiotic treatment, and responsive surgery are essential to stopping this infection.
Also known as the "flesh-eating bacteria", the condition kills off the fascia, which surrounds the muscles, nerves, and blood vessels. The CDC only estimates between 700 and 1,200 cases in the United States each year. Time is of the essence when treating patients with necrotizing fasciitis.
According to Health Link British Columbia, the risk of getting the infection is higher if a person has a weak immune system if cuts in the skin are present, and if a person has chronic health problems.
Furthermore, people who recently had viral infections that cause rashes, such as chickenpox, could also be predisposed to developing the disease. Additionally, individuals who use steroids could also lower their body's resistance to infections.
Health experts believe that group A Streptococcus is the common cause of necrotizing fasciitis, explaining Chance's initial diagnosis of strep throat.
Boo-boo Turned Into Life-threatening Infection
According to Melissa Evans, Chance's mother, the infection aggressively went through his whole thigh, all the way to his knee, after they got to the hospital. She explains how they got an update from Chance's doctor that the infection already spread to his other leg.
The boy went through multiple surgeries to cut out dead tissue and was hospitalized near their hometown of McComb, Mississippi. A family member set up a GoFundMe to help them deal with Chance's medical expenses. The site raised $10,582, with its initial goal of $1,500. The family is grateful to the 289 donors who helped them during their great time of need.
The following year, a similar infection was observed in a 77-year-old woman who died after being infected by flesh-eating bacteria at a beach near her home by the Gulf of Mexico.
According to her son, Lyn Fleming was walking along the beach when she fell and obtained a small cut on her shin bone. A few days after, she was taken to the emergency department and was diagnosed with necrotizing fasciitis. Just after two weeks, she died due to the infection.
Wade Fleming, Lyn's son, calls out to people to be aware of the warning signs of the infections so that others may have a fighting chance, one that his mother, unfortunately, did not have.
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