Woman Has All 4 Limbs Amputated After Kidney Stone

Cindy Mullins got a kidney stone a few weeks before the holidays, and was treated for it. Nonetheless, the stone got infected, the infection turned septic, and the Kentucky 41-year-old found herself rushed to the hospital, where she was sedated for days—and woke up to find her legs had been amputated from the knees down. Then, doctors told her they'd need to amputate her arms as well, due to the infection having spread. Even so, the longtime nurse tells WLEX, "I'm just so happy to be alive. I get to see my kids. I get to see my family. I get to have my time with my husband. Those," she says, referencing the amputations, "are minor things at this point." She says she hopes others learn from her story to "slow down" and appreciate what they have, especially their family.

"Sometimes life is hard and there's no way around it," reads a GoFundMe campaign raising money to help pay for Mullins' medical care, adaptive equipment, and alterations to the family's home. Mullins has been with her husband since she was 17, and they have two sons, ages 12 and 7, the Guardian reports. "Cindy and DJ's world has come to a complete stop, but the world around them continues to move forward," the crowdfunding campaign reads. "Let's help ease their burden while they heal and get back to their lives. We hope to be able to allow Cindy to focus on her recovery." (More Kentucky stories.)