Her husband, Matt Trainer, sent her to the hospital as her illness deteriorated, which was first believed to be the flu. What medical professionals found was far worse than the flu.
Capnocytophaga canimorsus, an uncommon but dangerous bacterium often found in dog and cat saliva, was what Marie had acquired.
Her immune system went into overdrive due to the virus, resulting in blood clots that stopped her limbs’ circulation.
Dr. Ajay Seth, the orthopedic surgeon who subsequently carried out a crucial procedure to save Marie’s life, said, “It was just rapidly progressing where her hands and feet were turning black.”
For ten days, Marie was kept in a medically induced coma. Her limbs were severed when she awoke.
At first, physicians thought of amputating all of her limbs at the torso, which would have drastically reduced her range of motion. But Dr. Seth was not going to give up.
