Life is unpredictable. Now you are at your best, and in the next moment things can get an unlike turn no one expects or can ever predict.
Unfortunately, that is exactly what happened to a family from Alabama. Ricky Rutherford, his wife Cassey, and some friends were taking a kayaking trip in Second Creek, looking forward to a day filled with fun and excitement, but what they got was the most unpleasant surprise ever. Ricky contracted flesh-eating bacteria and is now fighting for his life.
Once the trip was over, Ricky started feeling really bad as his body reached temperature of 103 degrees. He could feel cramps in his leg too, but believed it was caused by him working at the warehouse during high temperatures.
The following day, his leg was all red and swollen and that’s when they became aware something more serious was in question. Cassey took to Facebook to share her husband’s story, writing:
“When he undressed he found his leg was red and swollen. We immediately went to the ER last night and they told us it was cellulitis possibly contracted from our kayaking trip Saturday and treated him with IV antibiotics and sent him home with two more. They told him if there was any change to come back.”
The doctors assumed he could have contracted the flesh-eating bacteria and operated on Ricky’s leg. The five-by-six inch chunk they removed from his leg was sent to be further examined. The results came back and doctors’ assumptions came true. Ricky contracted necrotising fasciitis.
“My husband is fighting for his life right now because of this horrible thing,” Cassey continued. “What seemed like a normal fun activity that we enjoyed as a family has turned into a nightmare.
Unfortunately, despite the antibiotics and other medicine he was given, Ricky is still left fighting for his life. Our thoughts and prayers are with him and his family. We hope he’ll pull through and continue leaving his dream.
Cassey is spreading the story because she wants more people to be aware of the dangers of taking trips at the woods or going kayaking. Many believe a person has to have an open wound in order to contract such life-threatening bacteria, but that’s not always the case.
Speaking to WAFF, Cassey said: “There was nothing. But the doctors told us it could be a microscopic hole that it could come into and still spread like that. It’s hard to believe that there was a group of us and my husband, being the healthiest immune system there, got this.
“He’s never sick. He doesn’t even have a doctor. To know that he got that when the rest of us didn’t is insane.
“I don’t want anyone else to go through this. On Saturday, I was having to think about burying the love of my life. No one should ever have to go through that. Do not get in that water! It’s not safe. Don’t jeopardise your family for a day of fun. It’s right here in our backyard.”