Athlete Recovery

Hi there,

My name is Athena Martinez and I compete in MMA amateur fighting for the Australian Top Team.
I had a fight scheduled for friday 27th of November. 
The day before the weigh-in I started with my water cut, sauna and baths.
Dehydration helped me cut 4kg of water the night before the weigh in to qualify for my fight. 
Just before the weigh-in my new nutritionist told me to meet him at a “recovery” clinic for a cryotherapy session. 
I was left there for 6 minutes, 3 minutes more than the recommended safe time.

After the cryotherapy i could feel my legs burning.
A few hours later blisters starts to pop out.

I rushed to the hospital to get it properly assessed and they drained the blisters and bandaged my legs. 
The next day I came back to the Burns Hospital and they rushed me into theatre for limb saving surgery. My doctor was concerned about my circulation and severe muscle damage and as I had lost all the sensation in my legs. There was a risk that I could lose both of my legs!

They removed all the dead skin and performed a synthetic skin graft and Thank God my muscles weren’t severely burned.

My boss kindly paid for my surgery as I don’t have Medicare (I am not an Australian citizen) so I need to pay for all the expensive medical bills. I will require more bandage changes, medical appointments, medications, rehabilitation, transport to and from appointments, and legal fees which I cannot afford without financial assistance. It could be a long time until I can return to work. 

I have wonderful friends but I don’t have any family who live in Australia to help me 

If there is anyway that anyone could support me it would be greatly appreciated!

I’m very blessed for still having my legs and very frustrated that this has happened to me in such an important moment in my life.

But I’ll live to fight another day.

Thank you in advance from all my heart.

Any money donated to me that is left over after my bills are paid will be donated to a charity for burns patients or to the Rural Fire Service to help their volunteers. 

Love,

Athena M.