Lots of folks enjoy looking after their gardens. It’s calming to care for plants and keep the grass neat. This dad loved it too!
But something as small as a cut ended up becoming a huge problem for his family.
Just a heads up: this story has some graphic pictures.
Father-of-two, 34, nearly died after catching rare flesh-eating bug while gardening https://t.co/jNk8NLYseJ pic.twitter.com/gYY7jxz08D
— Bistosh World (@BistoshW) March 30, 2020
Neighbors often spotted Steve Palmer in his garden, diligently tending to his plants. It was a common sight to see the young father bent over with his tools, caring for the flora in his garden.
For anyone who owns a house or an apartment with plants, having the right tools is essential. A good pair of gloves is a must for digging in the soil, making work easier and maintaining hygiene.
Steve’s family was accustomed to seeing him busy in the garden, especially after it had been damaged by a severe flood. There was plenty to repair.
His wife, Laura, and their sons, Charlie, 7, and Jacob, 3, often observed Steve working in the garden.
After finishing the work, Steve noticed a scratch on his hand but brushed it off, attributing it to contact with a plant, as reported in the Daily Mail.
The next morning, he woke up with a fever and couldn’t move his fingers. Throughout the day, his condition worsened. His arm became numb, and the pain became unbearable.
“I never thought something like this could happen from gardening. The pain was unbearable,” Steve said.
In a panic, the family called for an ambulance.
(Daily Mail) #Inmate sues prison after flesh-eating bacteria ate through his arm : WARNING: GRAPHIC CONTENT: Texas inmate, Harold Millican, 37, has sued the state’s prison system for failing to take him to the hospital to be .. https://t.co/X4Ge8g69yk pic.twitter.com/wvi57mDzGC
— StoriesFlow.com (@storiesflowcom) December 18, 2018
“By Sunday evening, the doctors told me I was lucky to be alive. They said the chances of survival were only 25%,” Steve recalls.
“They had to remove flesh from higher up my arm and bring it down for a skin graft,” he explained.
Rushed to the hospital, Steve underwent four surgeries on his arm. The spreading infection had to be removed, and a skin graft from his thigh was necessary to save his deteriorating arm.
Steve was diagnosed with Necrotizing Fasciitis, commonly known as flesh-eating disease.
The bacteria he encountered while gardening had eaten away at his skin, causing his arm to decay. “My surgeon said he’d only seen three cases like mine, and one in four don’t make it because it’s so deadly,” Steve revealed.
Although his arm has been reconstructed, Steve has lost all feeling in it. “My right hand has no sensation now, all the nerves are damaged,” the father of two shared.
“Now I realize how crucial it is – always wear gardening gloves and clean any cut, no matter how small,” Steve emphasized.
Steve’s advice is crucial for all gardeners to follow. Who would’ve thought such a minor cut could lead to such a catastrophe? Spread the word to prevent others from making the same mistake as Steve.
