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​Teenage Boy In Coma Has Both Legs Amputated After Contracting Sepsis

​Teenage Boy In Coma Has Both Legs Amputated After Contracting Sepsis

The 16-year-old had to be placed into an induced coma, meaning he doesn't yet know that he's lost his legs.

Jess Hardiman

Jess Hardiman

School boy and keen cyclist Ethan Hunt has had to have both of his legs amputated after his illness turned out to be sepsis, a life-threatening condition that can lead to multiple organ failure and death.

The 16-year-old had to be placed into an induced coma, meaning he doesn't yet know that he's lost his legs.

His aunt and uncle, Nicola and Ben, have now set up a GoFundMe page to raise money for Ethan to eventually get prosthetic legs.

"We are starting this fund raising to help Ethan and his family," they wrote on the page.

"This all started with the flu on Saturday 3rd February, by the 8th he was rushed to hospital where he was put in an induced coma, Ethan had 3 cardiac arrests they confirmed he had sepsis.

"Ethan was sent for a scan of his chest to see if there was anything other than they thought as they had used a hand scanner.

"He was sent to ICU and put on lots of drips and machines he also had pneumonia and severe respiratory failure. He was sent to Wythenshawe hospital on a special machine which had been sent over where he remains in a critical condition.

"On Monday 12th February he had to have his legs amputated to just below the knee.

They added: "Please help us to raise as much as we can for this special strong family and a special young man who has his full life ahead of him when he comes round."

New legs for Ethan Hunt/GoFundMe

His sister Jodie, 24, said that he had been feeling nauseous and had flu-like symptoms for several days, but things deteriorated very quickly and was rushed to hospital with 'a huge, blotchy, purple rash across his whole body'.

"Within 10 minutes of getting to Royal Blackburn Hospital's A&E department, Ethan had gone into cardiac arrest," Jodie explained.

He was then transferred to Wythenshaw Hospital in Manchester, as his health was showing no signs of improving.

Jodie said: "When he got there, we were given devastating news - there was no pulse in Ethan's feet.

"On Monday night, he had both his legs amputated below the knee.

"Ethan doesn't know about his legs yet, he's been in an induced coma ever since the cardiac arrest, and it's still touch and go.

"He's a keen cyclist and loves sports, so I really don't know what's going to happen when he wakes up. He loves riding so much, he even worked two jobs to save up for a bike.

"It's devastating, and I'm still in shock, but it was the right decision to make. We had to get rid of the sepsis.

She added: "The NHS is amazing. Once you see what really happens behind closed doors, it's so inspiring.

"People moan about waiting times in A&E or struggling to get an appointment at the doctors, but I will never say a bad word about them again.

"They've done everything they can for me brother and I'm so grateful to them."

The NHS website states that there are around 123,000 cases of sepsis each year in England, with around 37,000 people dying as a result of the condition.

It also explains that early symptoms of sepsis can include a high temperature or low body temperature, chills and shivering, a fast heartbeat and fast breathing, while parents of children under five should look out for them being lethargic or difficult to wake, mottled, bluish or pale skin, feeling abnormally cold to touch, breathing very fast, a rash that doesn't fade when pressed and fits or convulsions.

Ethan's family don't yet know when he will come out of the coma, but his doctors have said that he is making progress and are gradually starting to reduce his medication.

Find out more and donate money via the GoFundMe campaign, 'New gegs for Ethan Hunt', here.

Featured Image Credit: The Hunt family/GoFundMe

Topics: UK News, News, NHS