Chris Spath Medical/Family Expenses
Donation protected
We have many family/friends who have asked how they can help us in our current situation, and it has been suggested this site is the most realistic solution. It is a very humbling thing to reach out and accept help and support, and something that we are not familiar with. Currently we are in a place where we are feeling grateful for the Dr’s who saved Chris’s life. Now that he is now on the road to recovery we are becoming aware of the challenges that are in front of us. The biggest challenge/expense is that Chris will not be able to work and our childcare costs will increase since they will have to be in daycare full time (our previous schedules overlapped and allowed them to only go part-time, but Chris will not be able to care for them alone for several months). Chris will be in the hospital for several weeks before this is all over, and we are going to be accruing medical expenses for several months to come. We are blessed in so many ways and continue to Praise God that his life and arm have been spared. The most important thing we need is prayers, and if that is all you can do that is more than enough for us!!
Thank you
Here is Chris’s story (so far) if you haven’t been following on Facebook.
On Dec 25th, Christmas Morning, Chris woke up with fever/chills and soreness in his left arm. He decided he felt awful enough he couldn't sit through opening presents and he needed to go to Urgent Care to try and get an antibiotic. Upon arriving at Urgent Care they said he had an infection is his arm that was likely traveling to his blood stream and he needed to go to the Emergency Room.
He was admitted to Mercy Gilbert Hospital with "Cellulitis" and was put on IV antibiotics. His body quickly turned Septic as the infection spread. The doctors were concerned with his kidney functions and his white blood cell count. He spent 3 days at Mercy Gilbert and each day his infection spread down his arm and his conditioned worsened. His arm began to blister and his organ functions declined. They were unsure what else to do other than IV antibiotics and we were extremely concerned. Finally on the 28th, one of the surgeons recommended we transfer to a new hospital that was more equipped handle this scale of infection.
Chris was transferred to Chandler Regional Hospital on the 28th and they quickly determined that he had "Necrotizing Fasciitis" a rare 'flesh-eating' bacteria and he was quickly taken to surgery to remove the skin and tissue from his arm (from his wrist to his armpit). After surgery, Chris was taken to ICU, sedated, and put on a ventilator. He stayed that way for 3 days. During this time, they took him to surgery once a day to check his arm for more infection and deprive the wound. On the third day they put a wound vac on his arm and took him off of the ventilator. At this point they were feeling positive because his white blood cell counts were coming down and his kidney levels were back in the normal range.
On the 30th Chris was finally moved out of the ICU and into a normal room, where he spent a couple days with his wound vac on and recovering. He was still being administered IV antibiotics. They did a final wound care surgery on the 1st and let us know that he was ready for grafting process to start.
On Jan 2nd Chris had his 5th surgery. They were supposed to graft skin from his legs to his arms. The surgeon came out and told me that the machine used to harvest the skin wasn’t working properly and they weren’t able to get viable pieces of skin. (After trying to use the skin from one whole leg). He said the problem was the machine here and he wanted us to go to another hospital to complete the skin graft process. They covered him with artificial skin and then put a wound-vac back on.
At this point it sounds like he will be in the hospital for another week attached to the wound-vac so the artificial skin can attach and his arm can start to heal. The plan at that point is for him to come home for a couple weeks. He will then return to another hospital to do the skin graft on his entire arm.
The healing process will be slow and painful but we are so thankful that he is here and will recover in time. Thank you all for your prayers and support. This whole process has been so humbling and overwhelming. We have had some amazing friends and family who have flown in and been here to help with our children so that I could be at the hospital with Chris through all his surgeries.
More Updates as they happen...
Thank you
Here is Chris’s story (so far) if you haven’t been following on Facebook.
On Dec 25th, Christmas Morning, Chris woke up with fever/chills and soreness in his left arm. He decided he felt awful enough he couldn't sit through opening presents and he needed to go to Urgent Care to try and get an antibiotic. Upon arriving at Urgent Care they said he had an infection is his arm that was likely traveling to his blood stream and he needed to go to the Emergency Room.
He was admitted to Mercy Gilbert Hospital with "Cellulitis" and was put on IV antibiotics. His body quickly turned Septic as the infection spread. The doctors were concerned with his kidney functions and his white blood cell count. He spent 3 days at Mercy Gilbert and each day his infection spread down his arm and his conditioned worsened. His arm began to blister and his organ functions declined. They were unsure what else to do other than IV antibiotics and we were extremely concerned. Finally on the 28th, one of the surgeons recommended we transfer to a new hospital that was more equipped handle this scale of infection.
Chris was transferred to Chandler Regional Hospital on the 28th and they quickly determined that he had "Necrotizing Fasciitis" a rare 'flesh-eating' bacteria and he was quickly taken to surgery to remove the skin and tissue from his arm (from his wrist to his armpit). After surgery, Chris was taken to ICU, sedated, and put on a ventilator. He stayed that way for 3 days. During this time, they took him to surgery once a day to check his arm for more infection and deprive the wound. On the third day they put a wound vac on his arm and took him off of the ventilator. At this point they were feeling positive because his white blood cell counts were coming down and his kidney levels were back in the normal range.
On the 30th Chris was finally moved out of the ICU and into a normal room, where he spent a couple days with his wound vac on and recovering. He was still being administered IV antibiotics. They did a final wound care surgery on the 1st and let us know that he was ready for grafting process to start.
On Jan 2nd Chris had his 5th surgery. They were supposed to graft skin from his legs to his arms. The surgeon came out and told me that the machine used to harvest the skin wasn’t working properly and they weren’t able to get viable pieces of skin. (After trying to use the skin from one whole leg). He said the problem was the machine here and he wanted us to go to another hospital to complete the skin graft process. They covered him with artificial skin and then put a wound-vac back on.
At this point it sounds like he will be in the hospital for another week attached to the wound-vac so the artificial skin can attach and his arm can start to heal. The plan at that point is for him to come home for a couple weeks. He will then return to another hospital to do the skin graft on his entire arm.
The healing process will be slow and painful but we are so thankful that he is here and will recover in time. Thank you all for your prayers and support. This whole process has been so humbling and overwhelming. We have had some amazing friends and family who have flown in and been here to help with our children so that I could be at the hospital with Chris through all his surgeries.
More Updates as they happen...
Organizer
Laura Spath
Organizer
Gilbert, AZ