Matthew Carr was vacationing with his family and friends in the Outer Banks of North Carolina the week of July 23-30, just like he has done for the past 5 years. He was expecting to have a relaxing week spent playing games by the pool, eating well, playing a round of golf, reading books, and making memories. His vacation took a turn when he began to experience pain in his left ankle the morning of July 27, 2024. It was not a pain he had experienced before and his ankle began to become red and hot to the touch. Thankfully, he vacations with two nurses and a nurse practitioner who quickly realized Matt was experiencing a medical emergency that required a trip to the emergency room. Matt and his wife, Lisa, made the hour-long trip to the Outer Banks Hospital where he was in a significant amount of pain along with his ankle and leg continuing to swell and turn red. After hours of waiting and tests, Matt was diagnosed with a bacterial infection called Vibrio. (Vibrio is a flesh-eating bacteria that can be transmitted to humans through the consumption of raw or undercooked shellfish or direct exposure to contaminated warm brackish water. Current data suggests that an individual exposed to Vibrio can die within 48-72 hours without extreme and prompt medical intervention. The CDC reports that “about 1 in 5 people with this infection die, sometimes within a day or two of becoming ill.” (https://www.cdc.gov/vibrio/wounds.html) You may have seen articles or reports of Vibrio infections being on the rise this summer along the east coast, especially reports from North Carolina, Connecticut, Florida, and New York.) Less than 12 hours after stepping foot into the emergency room, Matt’s body began to shut down and go into sepsis. He was then transferred to the ICU in Elizabeth City, NC the morning of July 28 where they could provide a higher level of care for him. The medical staff successfully stabilized Matt, temporarily saving his life and his leg. A few short days later, the hospital discharged him and allowed him to return home to Delaware. Within 24 hours of arriving home to Delaware, Matt’s leg began to get worse and he was taken to Christiana hospital where he was immediately admitted. The medical staff at Christiana have been aggressive with their treatment and have performed multiple surgeries and procedures to prevent the spread of the infection and save Matt’s foot. Matt has continued to show signs of improvement over the past 3 weeks, but he still has a long road ahead of him. While we are thankful Matt is alive and in good spirits, the infection has left him with a long road to recovery, including the need for multiple skin grafts for his left foot. This means Matt will be unable to work or will be restricted with his duties for quite some time until he is fully healed. We are asking for any donations to help offset the medical bills Matt and Lisa will be receiving from all 3 hospitals and the continued cost of medical procedures Matt will need. We understand these are hard times for many financially. Even if you cannot donate, please consider sharing this fundraiser on your social media. Thank you!
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