He Wakes Up To See His Leg Looking Like THIS. It Only Gets Worse…

Adrian Ruiz spent Father’s Day on a fishing trip with his family in Port Aransas, Texas. He and his family had a fantastic time – until he woke up the next day to a fever and a severe rash on his leg.

The rash worsened over time, slowly turning into boils and sores that expanded across even more of his leg.

Ruiz was admitted to Seton Hay’s Intensive Care Unit, where the doctors diagnosed his condition. Ruiz had somehow become infected by Vibrio, a type of bacteria that eats human flesh and has the potential to kill. The bacteria are generally contracted by eating raw or undercooked seafood, or when an open wound is exposed to seawater.

The doctors at Seton Hays believed that Ruiz came in contact with the bacteria when he waded into the lake at Port Aransas the day prior – but they couldn’t find any open wounds on Ruiz’s leg to confirm this speculation.

In 2016, Ruiz is already the 27^th person to have contracted Vibrio. About 41% of the other 26 cases had also contracted Vibrio through water contact.

Ruiz’s condition remained uncertain for several days. Doctors debated whether his leg had to be amputated, given the condition of the boils, and had concerns about whether the bacteria would actually take Ruiz’s life.

It was only confirmed on June 23^rd, by Ruiz’s wife, that Ruiz would survive. One of the doctors at Seton Hays, Dr. Fausto Meza, confirmed that the swelling of Ruiz’s leg has diminished, but a long road of recovery remains ahead; Ruiz continues to be supported by four IV drips.

Dr. Meza was also unable to determine why so many people this year were being diagnosed with flesh-eating bacteria. He suspects it might have something to do with the changing water temperature at the Gulf Coast, but cannot confirm.

People like Ruiz’s wife, La Shelle, have begun calling for better notices to be placed on lake shores, warning people that the waters do contain flesh-eating bacteria. She has created a YouCaring page, hoping to increase awareness of this situation and raise money for her husband’s medical bills. On it, she wrote, “If we would have known there was flesh-eating bacteria that was there, we wouldn’t have entered [the lake]. … If we can save one other person from suffering from this, that is what we want to do!”