University of Florida college student Daniel Lively contracted a rare flesh-eating bacterial infection during spring break in March
A Florida college student’s spring break festivities turned into a fight for his life after he contracted a rare flesh-eating bacterial infection that nearly cost him his leg.
Daniel Lively, a student at the University of Florida from Gainesville, was enjoying spring break by swimming in Florida’s St. John’s River in March.
During the swim, his friend pushed him and he scraped his calf on an old nail on the dock.
He thought nothing of it when he saw a black scar, but 24 hours later he fell severely ill.
‘I didn’t really think much of it. It was just, like, a small, black mark,’ he said to WFTV. ‘The night was terrible. I just felt so sick, so out of sorts the whole time.’
The next day he returned home to celebrate his mother’s birthday and by the end of the day collapsed with exhaustion.
Lively, from Gainesville, was enjoying spring break at St. John’s River in March when his friend suddenly pushed him into the river and he scraped his calf on an old nail on the dock and it left a black mark on his leg
He thought nothing of it when he saw a black scar, but 24 hours later he fell severely ill. He was taken to the hospital where he was diagnosed with necrotizing fasciitis, a bacteria infection that kills tissue, spreads quickly in the body and can lead to death. The black mark expanded into this giant gash in his leg over time
‘Getting home, I immediately went to sleep. I just said, “Happy birthday” and went right into my room. I was just so tired.’
‘Within four hours, he was incredibly sick — so sick that he had a fever. He was vomiting. He thought he just had the flu,’ his distraught mother Deane Schulz told the outlet.
‘He came home the next day, and was not himself.’
He was taken to the hospital where he was diagnosed with necrotizing fasciitis, a bacteria infection eats away and kills tissue.
It spreads quickly in the body and can lead to death and is caused by different strains of bacteria found in saltwater environments, as per the CDC.
‘These infections can be pretty aggressive, so if you don’t get to them early and get this tissue out that is dying, this bacteria can continue to spread up the leg, and it can be very devastating for people. Limbs can be lost,’ Dr. Nathan DeAngelis said. Lively pictured in his hospital bed
Lively has now fully recovered. He’s coming forward with the story, warning others to learn of the risks of the potentially fatal infection saying: ‘Be cognizant of everything, because I had no idea what any of this was before it happened’
He stayed in the hospital for 11 days and underwent three surgeries.
His doctors say that he made it to the hospital just in the nick of time.
‘These infections can be pretty aggressive, so if you don’t get to them early and get this tissue out that is dying, this bacteria can continue to spread up the leg, and it can be very devastating for people. Limbs can be lost,’ Dr. Nathan DeAngelis said.
University of Florida college student Daniel Lively contracted a rare flesh-eating bacterial infection during spring break in March that left him hospitalized for 11 days where he underwent three surgeries
He was swimming in St. Johns River (file image above) when he scraped himself on a nail and contracted the flesh-eating bacteria
‘Thankfully for him, he was one of the lucky ones (who) didn’t require many surgeries. But I’ve seen people go through multiple surgeries on the same day even and lose limbs,’ De Angelis added.
Lively has now fully recovered. He’s coming forward with the story, warning others to learn of the risks of the potentially fatal infection.
‘Be cognizant of everything, because I had no idea what any of this was before it happened. Don’t avoid all the water outright, just be aware of things that are out there and try to have fun, too,’ Lively said.