Man, 21, has both legs amputated days before birthday due to sepsis after ... trends now
A 20-year-old had to have both his legs amputated just two days before his 21st birthday after becoming so ill with flu symptoms he went into multiple organ failure and was the sickest person in the country.
Levi Dewey, now 21, is recovering in hospital after the operation, having suffered from severe sepsis and multiple organ failure.
His devastated family were warned by doctors Levi had less than a 30 percent chance of survival when he was rushed into intensive care.
But the young man is on his way to a remarkable recovery after the life-changing surgery, leaving his family overjoyed as they fundraise to help him eventually walk again.
Levi Dewey, 21, had both his legs amputated below the knee just two days before his 21st birthday
The 20-year-old was rushed to hospital on December 7 with flu-like symptoms and breathing difficulties
Levi was rushed to hospital in Derby on December 7 with serious flu-like symptoms and difficulty breathing.
The 20-year-old rapidly deteriorated and went into septic shock, suffering multiple organ failure and was sent to intensive care.
He was later found to be suffering from both Influenza B and Pneumococcal Pneumonia and was transferred from Royal Derby hospital to Glenfield hospital in Leicester for specialist treatment.
A statement from Levi's family said doctors informed them the JCB welder was 'the sickest patient in the country' at the time of his transfer, and told his heartbroken parents there was less than a 30 percent chance he would survive.
But with the help of ECMO (Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation) and full organ support, Levi slowly began to recover.
His condition rapidly deteriorated as his body went into sepsis shock and multiple organ failure
When he was moved to a hospital in Leicester, Levi's family was told there was a more than 70 percent chance he would die
Levi spent 14 days in an induced coma and 31 days on ventilation as he slowly recovered
Before his illness Levi was a fit young man who regularly played football
He spent 20 days on ECMO and was in an induced coma for 14 days, but after 31 days, he was able to be taken off ventilation and returned to the Royal Derby hospital for further treatment on January 9.
Despite his remarkable recovery, Levi was dealt another blow on January 11 when he was told he would need both his legs amputated due to the severity of his sepsis.
Photos of Levi in hospital show the lower half of his legs were left completely blackened by sepsis, which is an extremely serious and often life-threatening condition.
He underwent surgery on Tuesday, just two days before his 21st birthday.
An update from his family and friends after the surgery
