SNOHOMISH COUNTY, Wash. — A local musician has been on the brink of death twice following an infection of a rare flesh-eating disease.
Two weeks ago, while celebrating his 46th wedding anniversary, Ted Neiland felt what he thought was a spider bite.
Within seven hours of feeling the first symptom, he appeared to be in cardiac arrest and was fighting for his life on the way to the hospital.
His wife, Sally, said she was afraid he wasn’t going to make it.
It was at Providence Swedish Hospital that they found out why: Neil had necrotizing fasciitis, a flesh-eating disease.
“The bacteria raced through the tissue of his lower body and into his blood. He was septic, and his kidneys slowed down. All of his organs were impacted by the infected blood. Ted suffered a long, slow heart attack, and terrible pain. He has undergone multiple surgeries since being admitted to the hospital,” a GoFundMe created for Neil said about his experience.
According to Snohomish County Public Health, necrotizing fasciitis is a life-threatening “syndrome in which an acute bacterial soft tissue infection causes severe disease” that can spread quickly.
“And it was explained to me very kindly that he had a life-threatening infection and it was growing rapidly,” Sally said.
Now, Sally wants to alert others of this rare but serious bacteria.
“If you have symptoms of feeling like you had a spider bite and your leg starts to swell, don’t wait,” she advised. “If we would have waited another half an hour, I’m told he would not be here.”
Snohomish County Public Health says this is not a condition that has to be reported to them. So, they don’t know how many people have the disease.
Much of the flesh on Ted’s left thigh has been removed.
Friends have set up a GoFundMe account to help raise money to retrofit their house to accommodate Neil, and to pay for medical expenses.
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