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The man’s burn was infected by strep A bacteria that affected his legs.
Max Armstrong looks forward to hiking again. (Representative Image)
Getting a burn or two while cooking is quite common, happening to almost everyone at some point. Minor burns on the skin usually take place when handling hot pans or liquids; what could be the worst consequence? An infection, scarring, blisters, or nerve damage to the worst. But a man ended up losing both his legs due to a minor burn that he got on a camping trip. Max Armstrong went camping with his friends in December 2024 when he suffered an injury that turned out to be his worst nightmare.
Armstrong was cooking pasta for the group when he accidentally burned his thumb on a skillet while moving the hot skillet from the campfire to the table. “It was a little burnt. I didn’t think anything of it at the time,” he told People, further adding that he simply cleaned up the area and covered it with a bandage. It was two days later that one of his legs started swelling up, even hurting his ankle at some point, which he believed was due to a wrong twist.
Armstrong did not find anything wrong until he found himself “talking crazy” in his sleep and his toenails turned purple, prompting him to seek medical help. He also checked his symptoms online and realised that it would be due to sepsis. Upon arriving at the AdventHealth Parker in Colorado, the doctors confirmed that he had sepsis and needed to be put in an induced coma for recovery. He learned that strep A bacteria had gotten into the burn before he could clean and bandage the burn.
After remaining in a coma for six long days, while doctors thought he might not make it, Armstrong woke up to shocking news that the sepsis had completely eaten his feet and had started spreading to his legs. Revealing that his feet were completely black and felt like being “crushed,” the 40-year-old realised that he no longer had the option to keep them anymore. “My mom was taking photos. And they looked so black, and the veins were cooked. They just looked like they’d never be able to be used again,” he explained. “It was a tough choice,” he explained.
Eventually, Armstrong had surgery to remove both his legs below the knees, something which he accepted as a medically necessary part of his journey. Keeping up a positive attitude, he looks forward to hitting the trails again. Meanwhile, a GoFundMe has also been established to support the cost of his prosthetics and other necessities.
- Location :
Delhi, India, India
