Flesh-Eating Bacteria Takes Mom's Hand, Both Feet

A Georgia mother and former Marine has been in the fight of her life since entering the hospital on May 25—a hospital whose staff dubbed her "Miracle Girl." That name came after Cindy Martinez survived surgeries to remove dead tissue from her body after being diagnosed with necrotizing fasciitis and myositis, the Gwinnett Daily Post reports. The mother of two had entered the hospital with "severe left shoulder pain," writes husband David on a GoFundMe page. Four days later, "her left lat-muscle and other tissue down to the left side of her body had been removed" due to the flesh-eating bacteria. But People reports the 34-year-old's battle didn't end there: On Thursday she had her right hand and both feet amputated.

Doctors are unsure how Martinez contracted the infection, and she is not yet in the clear. David tells People that fingers on her left hand may also have to be amputated. But he describes his wife as incredibly strong: "Sure, she was a little scared, but she was able to fight through that fear and say, 'Enough is enough.'" The Gwinnett County couple have a 5-year-old son and a 2-year-old daughter, and mounting medical bills. More than $76,000 has been donated through GoFundMe, and there are several fundraisers scheduled for the family in the Greater Atlanta area. (More flesh-eating bacteria stories.)