A mother-of-two from Atlanta is fighting for her life after being diagnosed with a disease caused by flesh-eating bacteria. Cindy Martinez, a former Marine, contracted with what is medically termed as necrotizing fasciitis, which is characterized by skin infections that can lead to damages in the body tissues. The doctors in charge of the patient's care said quadruple amputation of the limbs may be possible.
Cindy initially felt right-shoulder pain that is continuous and severe in intensity. She had herself checked in the emergency room of a hospital on May 25, 2015. The following day, the doctors diagnosed her with the rare and severe type of bacterial skin infection. The doctors said that the only way that may save her is a surgical operation.
Cindy's husband, David said he knew their hospital stay may be an extended and prolonged type of admission.
"I had to tell her the truth, and tell her she's not coming home. I don't know when. I couple of weeks, a couple of months. I don't know," he said. "She thought she was going to come home in a few days and I knew having a conversation with her that it wasn't [going to be] the case."
Cindy is experiencing immense pain and has no drive to eat, and with the roller coaster of events happening, she is exhausted, David added.
The flesh-eating bacteria that cause this disease thrive in common places. The bacteria typically do not cause harm but when rare and precise events happen, it can evolve into a fatal pathogen. For example, if an individual has an open wound and had a direct contact with unsanitary objects such as stagnant water, the bacteria may be activated to its dangerous form.
The kids of Cindy and David - a 5-year-old son and 2-year-old daughter - have not been able to stay or even visit their mother. According to David, he prefers to wait for events to turn and head to the "right direction" before the kids may be granted a meeting with their mother.
David is not aware of any intervention or measure that they could have done to discover his wife's disease during the early phase of the infection; however, he encourages other people to take caution.
"You know your family and your friends better than anyone else," he advises. "If you see something is out of the ordinary, or not their normal self, then yes, definitely go get it checked out. Of course."
A Go Fund Me account was created to help the Martinez family cope with their present ordeal financially.
"This has made me realize that you truly don't know what's in store for you every day in life," David told CBS Atlanta station WGCL.
