A Bracknell man had both of his feet and part of his leg amputated after seeing his doctor with what he thought was the flu; he is now looking for assistance to get back on his bike and play with his kids.
Midway through October, James Mackey of Forest Park had been feeling under the weather for a few days when his partner Ashley Jeans pushed him to visit the doctor.
His GP swiftly called for an ambulance to take him to Royal Berkshire Hospital, where he was identified as having a strain of sepsis.
After two weeks on a ventilator, Mr. Mackey was moved to Stoke Mandeville Hospital in Aylesbury, which specialized in intensive care, when it was determined that his foot was infected.
On November 9, they informed him that he would need to have both of his legs amputated from the calf down, according to Mr. Mackey’s sister-in-law Lucy Webb of Winnersh.
The 30-year-old Mr. Mackey has been transferred from intensive care to the burns ward, where he is making a good recovery.
His family is currently raising money to make sure he can lead a normal life once he is discharged from the hospital.
“He’s so upbeat, it’s really fantastic,” Ms. Webb continued.
“All he wants to do right now is stand up and play football with his children.”
He is quite busy and has a teenage daughter and two little boys in elementary school.
He plays football and rides his bike, but he accepts what has happened.
To fund prosthetic legs and potential lifestyle changes, a Go Fund Me campaign has been created with a $25,000 target.
They currently reside in rented housing, and Ms. Webb continued, “it’s likely they’ll need to move out because they need to adapt the property.”
They’ll need a new car as well; there are so many things you don’t consider until they affect you.
She continued by saying that in addition to raising funds, the family also wants to spread knowledge about sepsis, a condition that none of them were familiar with prior to Mr. Mackey’s diagnosis.
She added, “Anyone could be impacted.”
“If you can have it diagnosed as soon as possible, it’s easier to recover.”
“After James went four days without a diagnosis, it took four days for his disease to set in.”
Although the infection is believed to have entered through a small cut on his hand, doctors have been unable to pinpoint its exact cause.
James’ partner Ms. Jeans stated on the fundraising page that he “will spend at least a further three months in hospital in the acute care and burns unit.”
We are asking for help in generating money so that we can get the prosthetic equipment he needs because he is desperate to stand up again.
We don’t know when or if James will be able to return to his existing job because the prosthetics are expensive.
His main goal is to be able to play football with his kids and ride his bike once more.
“Hopefully with your help, we’ll be able to do this,” she said.
“If you know James, you are aware of his tenacity and determination to carry on as before his amputation.”
“He is strong and certain that he will be able to spend some time with us all for Christmas, despite the fact that he is still struggling with his hands and the rest of his body.”
Blood poisoning or septicemia, another name for sepsis, is a potentially lethal condition brought on by an injury or infection.
The immune system ramps up while the body is battling a disease.
If sepsis is not treated right away, it can lead to multiple organ failure and even death.
