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Save SHANE - Flesh Eating Disease
Donation protected
Shane, 37, is fighting for his life, alone, in a small town hospital. He is far from siblings and without any support.
Parents are gone, recently divorced. . . and has FLESH EATING STREPTOCOCCUS !!!
He needs to be transferred to a major medical center where experienced professionals can help save him and family can be near to provide support.
How it Happened:
Shane awoke earlier this week to find he had scratched himself raw on both legs in his sleep. He had no idea why, he wasn't aware anything had bitten him, nor of anything he had come into contact with that could have caused the itching. He then started to feel like he was coming down with the flu. A couple of days passed and everything was just getting worse. So he went to the ER to have himself checked out. In addition to feeling like he had the flu, the two wounds on his legs were now causing pain all the way up into the groin area.
As the ER doctors tried to determine the problem he became septic and everything else began to run a muck.
It was determined he had "Flesh Eating Disease" - Streptococcus Bacteria. Yes, the same one many of us get in the throat. I'm not sure of when it turns from a sore throat into a raging killer - perhaps when it is allowed to enter the bloodstream?
What it did mean was jumping through surgical hoops to try to get it out!
Shane had already undergone several surgeries in the 24-hrs that followed. During which he transferred medical power of attorney to me - but I was still not aware that anything was wrong.
Naturally the thought of bringing his phone charger was no where near the front of Shane's mind when he decided to go to the ER. And in the hours that followed his phone battery died. So when the Hospital staff tried to reach someone . . .
They frantically went through every charger anyone had. No luck. Finally on the 7th one they were able to start charging, and then I received the call - his Kidneys, Liver, Heart, and breathing were all wanting to shut down. He has fluids draining from everywhere - but is stable. Now, they needed to open the lymph nodes to further drain toxins from his system. And have said that if he is to get through this, he will need several more surgeries.
Back Story:
Shane is 20 years my junior and really got the short end of the stick - he is technically my half-brother, although I don't see it like that - a brother, is a brother, is a brother. When Shane was 20 our father, who had been recuperating from back surgery, became suddenly ill. He went to the ER, in the same small town Shane is in, was admitted, under-went several emergency surgeries for Colon cancer. Several surgeries were required because of medical errors - botched emergency colon resection, medical devices installed incorrectly, etc. 14-days later, he was dead.
My fathers death left a huge hole. Not only was he gone, but there had been an error / over-sight in his life insurance when he transferred from the Canadian division to the US division of his company. In short, he had none! Leaving my step-mother (Delcie) and youngest brother, Shane, to loose their home soon thereafter. Sadly she too has passed away. Leaving Shane on his own in Washington.
Our family is scattered all over. That was never an issue when jobs were good and vacations provided opportunity to bridge the gaps. However as we've gotten older and various health issues have befallen us, making the jobs and vacations a thing of the past, so too are the opportunities to share and be there for each other.
SHANE'S SITUATION IS LIFE OR DEATH - ALONE.
PLEASE help us to help Shane!!!
Flesh Eating Streptococcus is a vile and unforgiving bacteria. While organizations such as Houston Methodist Hospital (Research) are making new discoveries regarding the workings of this bacteria, there is not antibiotic for it. And NO ONE is immune!
That said, the doctors do throw everything they have at it, but much is reliant upon surgical means to get ahead of it and the patients ability to fight.
Please help Shane by keeping him your Prayers and by sharing this link with everyone you know! Thank-you.
THE STORY CONTINUES . . .
THANK-YOU all for your prayers for Shane! They have delivered miracles beyond measure!
Doctor Woo DO pulled the medical equivalent of a 'rabbit out of the hat'! I have no doubt that she was one of the few individuals who could have saved Shane. Literally!
When you see the news, or dig deeper into flesh eating disease victims, the survival prognosis is extremely poor. Those that do where typically diagnosed FAR earlier than Shane was. Further still, they usually leave deformed - having lost vast sections of skin, tissue, muscle and bone. Or entire limbs!
Yet she, Dr. Woo, did not approach the problem as other doctors, MD's, have done. She did what DO's do - focused on the bigger picture, the entire body! Where others see flesh infested with deadly bacteria ravishing their victims with greedy appetites, and out comes the axe to cleve them flesh yet untouched, thus saving the host; she instead showed them the door - 16 doors! Dr Woo armed the body with a plethora of antibiotics and provided emergency exit routes for the BODY to push the repulsive slime bags out!!
Yesterday, when Shane was taken into surgery with all those open incisions and drainage tubes, he couldn't move in his bed due to the excruciating pain. He returned from surgery, where all the tubes were removed, his wounds closed, and sporting a new blue plastic belly button (more on that later) - he could walk! He is very, very much still ill. But he is also whole, intact!! And VERY, VERY, BLESSED!!
[More to follow]
[Current Status will be posted in Updates.]
WHERE is Shane:
If you'd like to send well wishes and let Shane know he's in your Prayers -
At home:
816 Glenn in St
Lyndon, WA 98264
CONTACT Suzanne:
Since posting my email it has been flooded with loan and credit card offers - so, I did find that my address is avail by clicking the envelope under my name, we'll leave it there.
Organizer
Suzanne VanCapelle
Organizer
Baytown, TX