Woman wakes up for first time after going in for routine operation then having all limbs amputated
When you go in for routine surgery, there’s always a small chance that complications could arise, but most of the time it tends to go well.
However, a mother-of-two found herself waking up to a nightmare after her kidney stone operation.
Lucinda 'Cindy' Mullins initially went to get the stone removed, but it became infected and septic.
At first, the 41-year-old was taken to Fort Logan Hospital in Stanford, Kentucky, and then to the University of Kentucky hospital in Lexington in an ambulance to remove the stone from her body.
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However, doctors had to amputate both of her legs and told her she would also lose both of her arms below her elbows due to the sepsis.
"I just said these are the cards I've been dealt and these are the hands I'm going to play," Lucinda told LEX 18.
"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 are minor things at this point."
Sharing snaps of Lucinda smiling outside the hospital, her sister, Luci Smith, thanked everyone for their 'support, love, prayers, cards, food and visits'.
She said: “We would like to thank everyone again for all of the support, love, prayers, cards, food and visits (her favourite) You guys are amazing. In the next few days we will move to Cardinal Hill for a couple weeks and then come back for hopefully her final surgery.
“Each day is a blessing from God and we will continue to praise him for the miracles he has performed. Today she got to leave the room and we ventured outside for some fresh crisp air. Keep praying and she'll keep fighting until we are finally home.”
However, with such an operation comes with a lot of costs for those living in the US, which meant that the financial burden of having all four limbs amputated was a massive strain on the Mullins family.
So, her friend decided to help her by setting up a GoFundMe page, which has already reached $90,860 (£71,300) of the $250,000 (£196,200) target with over a thousand donations in just under two weeks since its creation.
Described as a ‘lovely, caring, brave and beautiful young lady’, her friend wrote: “Cindy and her family will have to make a few adjustments to their home to accommodate Cindy's needs as well as her prosthetics and adaptive equipment.
"The costs of all of this can be overwhelming. We started this fundraiser because we want to support our hero Cindy, as well as her husband DJ who has been by her side every step of the way.
“Cindy and DJ have two young children who are missing their mom and dad terribly. Sometimes life is hard and there's no way around it. Cindy and DJ's world has come to a complete stop, but the world around them continues to move forward.
“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. Thank you for your support!”
If you're able to donate to the family, you can do so here.
Britt Jones