Hello, my name is Ruby Franklin and I am Melinda Martinez’s mother. Melinda is my daughter. She is the twin to Melissa Castillo. Melinda has diabetes and contracted a very serious infection called gas gangrene. This infection spread throughout her pelvis area and up to her left leg. She went into the hospital the other day and immediately went into emergency surgery to remove the flesh-eating bacteria and infection that spread throughout her body around the abdomen area. Melinda does not work and has not been able to. She is applying for her disability and still waiting for some news. We were asking for some prayers that she will come out of this and that she will be better. She is needing help with her son, with food, and bills. Her husband is going to have to take time off to take care of her and therefore will not be able to work when she comes home in a few days. They have to reevaluate to make sure that the infection did not spread once again. If not, she will have to have another surgery. The surgery was intense; it was two hours and they removed the flesh. She is in so much pain, admitted and taken care of in the hospital in Houston, Texas. So we were coming on here to receive any kind of help that you can give, from a dollar all the way up to anything. Anything and everything helps. She is a lovely mom. She has a baby named Anthony, a seven-year-old with autism, and also needs care. She worries about feeding him and the family and taking care of him while she goes through this very, very hard and difficult time. She is very sick and if her sugars do not lower, her wound will never heal. She was close to death whenever we located Melinda. My daughter Melissa and I came to Houston to see Melinda and her eyes were droopy. She could hardly walk. She was in deep agony and just looked like she was about to pass away. We looked at her wounds and we called 911 immediately to have her admitted, and she went into an immediate emergency surgery. If we hadn’t gotten to her, she would have died this week, if even that long. Thank you so much for your prayers, your thoughts, and support.

We will be updating throughout on her recovery. I do know she is in a lot of pain. This was a very, very painful surgery. We don’t know how long she will be in the hospital but anything will help. Thank you so much. We appreciate anything from a dollar on up. Any amount will help her. Thank you so much. God bless each and every one of you.

just wanted to update everyone Melinda is still in recovery within her surgery and infection that almost truly killed her. We are monitoring her on a daily. Thank you so much for all of your support and especially your prayers.