The story of a man who recovered after being put in a coma and was given a 4 percent survival rate has gone viral on social media after his sister shared his journey.
Michelle Spinale posted a series of videos on TikTok showing how her brother Steven Spinale survived after contracting a rare bacteria when he was hospitalized in late 2022.
She shared on the GoFundMe that he had been “pretty sick” for at least a month and doctors couldn’t “figure out” what was wrong with him, although they did notice he was “bleeding from somewhere internally.” He “quickly gave up” and was eventually placed on life support until mid-October as his organs began to shut down due to septic shock from a bacterial infection.
Septic shock is a progression of sepsis, in which the body’s infection-fighting processes turn on themselves, causing organs to malfunction, according to the Mayo Clinic. In septic shock, the body experiences a dramatic drop in blood pressure that can damage the lungs, kidneys, liver and other organs, according to the clinic.
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While in the hospital, Michelle shared that Steven went through a months-long journey to survive. In one video, she said he had a “stroke”, “massive” blood clots in his legs and heart chamber, pneumonia and even ARDS (acute respiratory distress syndrome).
She also stated that she had to be placed on a RotoProne bed, which treats “severe respiratory failure” according to the National Institutes of Health.
In the video and on GoFundMe, she explained that the bacterial infection eventually “got to his heart” and he had to have open-heart surgery. She noted that he was taken out of the operating room and “intubated for 36 hours” because “his blood would not clot” and had to undergo another operation to close the wound.
In another video, Michelle shared that doctors told them Steven had a “4% survival rate” and “no brain activity,” and that he should be taken off life support. However, she said the family remained strong, as they noticed that Steven would respond to them in a coma. After three weeks, he finally woke up and began the slow process of recovery.
“We never gave up hope,” Michelle wrote on a TikTok that showed photos of him in intensive care and waking up. “And luckily [he’s] alive today.”
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On November 29, 2022, Michelle shared an update showing Steven sitting up in bed while smiling and noted that he is learning to sit up on his own again. She said he still has a “long road” to recovery, but is “steadily on his way.”
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She also shared a video showing her undergoing physical therapy in the hospital doing leg presses. On top of that, she wrote: “We have never lost the hope of faith.” And thank God we didn’t because he can see him now! [Doctors] they are not the last word.”
In an update a year later, she showed Steven walking with an aid around his house. “We are blessed. What a trip it was,” she said.
Categories: Trends
Source: HIS Education