Sam O’Sullivan has not only defied those odds, but it’s also believed he’s the only survivor to have escaped losing a limb after being infected with Necrotizing Myositis – a fast-spreading infection that attacks the body’s muscles.
Sam says he had flu-like symptoms for about a week, which culminated in being hospitalised for severe shin pain.
“I was on every antibiotic trying to figure out what was going on with me. In that time, my leg started to swell up and my foot lost movement.
He went into surgery for compartment syndrome, but it wasn’t until doctors had made an incision did they realise what they were dealing with.
“They opened me up and got the shock of their lives when they realised what was going on.”
His leg was covered in puss and he was placed in an induced coma.
Dr David Charlesworth from Melbourne’s Box Hill Hospital said doctors had to act quickly.
They removed the muscles in his leg to prevent the aggressive infection from spreading further.
“The muscles swell and when the muscles swell they get compressed, and when they get compressed they get damaged,” said Dr Charlesworth.
“He required life-supporting measures in intensive care. His heart could not keep up with maintaining his blood pressure, his kidney’s started to fail and he was severely unwell.”
“While I was in a coma, they told mum and dad, and my aunty and uncle, to expect the worse and that I probably wasn’t going to make it,” Mr O’Sullivan said.
His mother Mary said she was overwhelmed when doctors told her of the diagnosis.
“I said, are we talking amputations? And they said, yes. So I processed that, then said, ok, is it life-threatening? And I said, yes it is and we’re trying to save his life as we speak.”
Despite what’s known about the deadly infection, Mr O’Sullivan defied the odds – waking from a coma after just four days.
Told he would never walk, after eight operations, he was on his feet.
“I had my skin graft taken out of here, and I had my lat [muscle] taken out of my back and put onto my leg.”
Dr David Charlesworth from Box Hill Hospital credits Mr O’Sullivan’s youth, fitness and mental agility for getting him through.
“His ability as a footballer to take on a task and to really run with it, that is the most inspiring part of this story.”
Port Melbourne VFL player Sam O'Sullivan (left). (YouTube) Source: YouTube
Father Jos O’Sullivan, was proud of his son’s cheeky fighting spirit.
“He’s very resilient, very stubborn, and very impatient, so I reckon he’s just said I’ve had enough of eight operations I want to get off my arse and start moving.”
Though thought to have come from some kind of cut or football injury, Sam’s doctors don’t know for sure, where the infection came from.
Sam will need further surgery in an attempt to return some of his flexibility, but right now feels lucky to be alive.
“I’ve been told I can’t play foot again and I’m sort of thinking, stuff that I’m definitely playing!”
