Smother with Love
Donation protected
This page is to help take some burden off of Anthony and Sami Smothers. As most of you know Anthony and Sami are husband and wife and are the proud parents of 2 beautiful girls Jadelyn and Skylar.
On the morning of April 8, 2015 Anthony and Sami noticed a "strawberry" on Anthony's right calf that was growing instead of healing from a game of softball that Anthony had played a few days prior. That evening it started showing a purplish area under the skin, Anthony being a man thought nothing of it. It wasn't until the next morning it was apparent this was not going away but seemed to be growing exponentially.
Anthony and Sami drove to DCH in Tuscaloosa Alabama and Anthony was admitted for IV antibiotic treatment for a staph infection. The doctors began the treatment marked an area around the infection and decided to drain it. By Friday morning it seemed to be working little did they know this was just the beginning of this journey. Friday night the area around the drain site started to turn purple and the red infection was creeping right up to the circle the doctors had marked. At this point the doctors are concerned that Anthony is not responding to the IV antibiotics and start switching the antibiotics in hopes that will stop the infection from spreading. By Sunday it is clear that is not working, they meet with the infectious disease surgeon and he decides that surgery to drain and remove the dead tissue is the best option for healing. They did the surgery at 2 and told Sami it looked worse than they expected and had to remove a lot of soft tissue. At that point they thought it was a brown recluse spider bite and not staph because of the amount of tissue that was dying. They rechecked him at 8 and there was no change so they wait to check him until Monday morning.
After checking him Monday morning the doctor told Sami he thought he would need to remove another inch of tissue around due to the appearance of more dying tissue. Upon checking him around lunch they seemed to see some improvement and decided that surgery would not be required. Monday evening the doctors are very concerned with the infection not improving the way it should. Anthony was not responding to any of the antibiotics even after the dead tissue was removed. They again changed his antibiotics praying by Tuesday morning there would be positive results. If not they would discuss the next option.
Tuesday morning they check him and tell Sami that he will need to have another surgery at 11:30 to remove the dead tissue. With all the dying tissue it is in fact a spider bite and after surgery he will go into the hyperbaric chamber to help promote new tissue growth. All the while trying to find a doctor at UAB to accept him for transfer to get him closer to home.
They again take him to surgery remove more tissue. When Sami met with the doctors after surgery she is confronted with a diagnoses that she never expected. It is NOT due to a spider bite, upon further inspection of the removed issue it is determined Anthony in fact has Necrotizing Fasciitis. They then know he needs to be transferred closer to home. The doctors at DCH and UAB are able to orchestrate a move, he is now at UAB. After his evaluation from the UAB doctor he was pleased with the work the surgeon did on removing the dead tissue. It is now a waiting game so see how Anthony's body is going to react to the antibiotics and chamber treatment.
With all that has happened to this family within the past week and the uncertainty of Anthony returning to work any time soon, I ask that you will make a donation to help us reach our financial goal for them. Please keep in mind that they still have 2 baby girls they have to support and we all know that just because your sick the bills don't stop coming. Sami has extra expenses now of hospital parking, gas to and from, and eating while away from home. Any amount that you can find to give his greatly appreciated and needed at this time.
The family ask that you will keep them all in your prayers and we will continue to up date you on his progress. It is hard for phone calls and text messages to be answered right now because Sami has been focused on Anthony and her girls. She has asked me to tell everyone to please not take it personal if you do not get a response from her. She will continue to update via FB when she gets a chance she is so stretched with Anthony, doctors, hospital staff, phone calls, text, FB messages, and her girls she just can't do it all. They are very appreciative of all the support and concern for them, so let's help take some burden off and raise some money for this family.
Thank you all!
http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Necrotizing_fasciitis
On the morning of April 8, 2015 Anthony and Sami noticed a "strawberry" on Anthony's right calf that was growing instead of healing from a game of softball that Anthony had played a few days prior. That evening it started showing a purplish area under the skin, Anthony being a man thought nothing of it. It wasn't until the next morning it was apparent this was not going away but seemed to be growing exponentially.
Anthony and Sami drove to DCH in Tuscaloosa Alabama and Anthony was admitted for IV antibiotic treatment for a staph infection. The doctors began the treatment marked an area around the infection and decided to drain it. By Friday morning it seemed to be working little did they know this was just the beginning of this journey. Friday night the area around the drain site started to turn purple and the red infection was creeping right up to the circle the doctors had marked. At this point the doctors are concerned that Anthony is not responding to the IV antibiotics and start switching the antibiotics in hopes that will stop the infection from spreading. By Sunday it is clear that is not working, they meet with the infectious disease surgeon and he decides that surgery to drain and remove the dead tissue is the best option for healing. They did the surgery at 2 and told Sami it looked worse than they expected and had to remove a lot of soft tissue. At that point they thought it was a brown recluse spider bite and not staph because of the amount of tissue that was dying. They rechecked him at 8 and there was no change so they wait to check him until Monday morning.
After checking him Monday morning the doctor told Sami he thought he would need to remove another inch of tissue around due to the appearance of more dying tissue. Upon checking him around lunch they seemed to see some improvement and decided that surgery would not be required. Monday evening the doctors are very concerned with the infection not improving the way it should. Anthony was not responding to any of the antibiotics even after the dead tissue was removed. They again changed his antibiotics praying by Tuesday morning there would be positive results. If not they would discuss the next option.
Tuesday morning they check him and tell Sami that he will need to have another surgery at 11:30 to remove the dead tissue. With all the dying tissue it is in fact a spider bite and after surgery he will go into the hyperbaric chamber to help promote new tissue growth. All the while trying to find a doctor at UAB to accept him for transfer to get him closer to home.
They again take him to surgery remove more tissue. When Sami met with the doctors after surgery she is confronted with a diagnoses that she never expected. It is NOT due to a spider bite, upon further inspection of the removed issue it is determined Anthony in fact has Necrotizing Fasciitis. They then know he needs to be transferred closer to home. The doctors at DCH and UAB are able to orchestrate a move, he is now at UAB. After his evaluation from the UAB doctor he was pleased with the work the surgeon did on removing the dead tissue. It is now a waiting game so see how Anthony's body is going to react to the antibiotics and chamber treatment.
With all that has happened to this family within the past week and the uncertainty of Anthony returning to work any time soon, I ask that you will make a donation to help us reach our financial goal for them. Please keep in mind that they still have 2 baby girls they have to support and we all know that just because your sick the bills don't stop coming. Sami has extra expenses now of hospital parking, gas to and from, and eating while away from home. Any amount that you can find to give his greatly appreciated and needed at this time.
The family ask that you will keep them all in your prayers and we will continue to up date you on his progress. It is hard for phone calls and text messages to be answered right now because Sami has been focused on Anthony and her girls. She has asked me to tell everyone to please not take it personal if you do not get a response from her. She will continue to update via FB when she gets a chance she is so stretched with Anthony, doctors, hospital staff, phone calls, text, FB messages, and her girls she just can't do it all. They are very appreciative of all the support and concern for them, so let's help take some burden off and raise some money for this family.
Thank you all!
http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Necrotizing_fasciitis
Organizer
Jennifer Thompson Wesson
Organizer
Sterrett, AL
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