The young man was diagnosed with streptococcal toxic shock syndrome, a rare and incredibly dangerous bacterial infection. For him, it led to organ failure and sepsis, necessitating the removal of his hands and feet, which had essentially become "mummified" due to the infection.
It's a devastating outcome for someone so young. Yet, amidst these challenges, there's a silver lining: he remains resilient, still holding onto his dreams of becoming either a doctor or a cross-country truck driver in the future.
From Western Journal:
The Daily Mail reported that after 24 hours of being diagnosed with streptococcal toxic shock syndrome, a rare but serious bacterial infection that leads to strep throat, Mason went into organ failure and sepsis — known as the “silent killer” — and doctors gave him a one percent chance of survival.
Sepsis is a critical condition triggered by the body’s extreme response to an infection, leading to widespread inflammation and the potential for organ failure.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, at least 1.7 million adults in the U.S. develop sepsis annually, and at least 350,000 die as a result.
In addition to this, Mason was reportedly diagnosed with necrotizing fasciitis, a severe flesh-eating bacterial infection that rapidly destroys the body’s soft tissues, including skin, fat, and the fascia covering the muscles.
Group A Streptococcus (group A strep) are the most common cause of necrotizing fasciitis according to the CDC, which notes that necrotizing fasciitis kills one in five people infected with it.
It chewed through about 60 percent of Mason’s skin, according to the Daily Mail, leaving him to need three skin grafting surgeries.
His hands and feet “essentially just died and were mummified. It was horrible,” his mother, Charde McMillan, said.
The Daily Mail reported that on June 6, doctors amputated both of Mason’s hands and several inches of each of his arms, due to the blood supply being cut off to them as a result of the infections, causing the tissue to die.
Then, just three days before his 16th birthday, on July 15, both of his legs were reportedly removed just below the knee.
This month, Mason will reportedly be fitted for leg prosthetics and begin intensive physical therapy. This will help him learn how to walk again.
