Dad, 34, slips into coma and loses all four limbs following routine dentist appointment
A man who went for a routine trip to the dentist ended up having all of his limbs amputated.
34-year-old Davon Vanterpool visited the dentist for a routine exam on 29 December last year and was given the bad news that his gums were 'severely inflamed and bleeding'.
Later that night his partner Alicia Wilder said she knew things were 'terribly wrong' when Davon started having flu-like symptoms and his condition didn't improve when he was placed in urgent care.
Alicia was left 'shocked and terrified' when Davon went into septic shock with his vital organs starting to shut down and him being put into a coma.
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While he was under doctors had to amputate his right leg, his left leg below the knee, the left forearm and his right hand in order to stop the spread of infection in his body and save his life.
A GoFundMe, which you can donate to here, has been set up to raise funds for their family as their health insurance does not cover the full cost of Davon's medical care.
Mum-of-two Alicia, from Texas, said she was 'thankful her love is still here' and that she was 'hopeful' for Davon's future as his body was responding to treatment.
She's also hoping others will be able to spot the signs of septic shock and seek treatment as soon as possible.
Talking about Davon's condition, she said: "He's got a life sentence for nothing. He was otherwise a very normal active person, dad and worker every day prior to that day.
"In Davon's case his gums were really inflamed when the dentist was in there poking in his mouth and it caused bleeding in his gums. The dentists didn't say 'maybe I shouldn't go forwards with this entire exam even though his gums are severely inflamed and bleeding'.
"Everyone has bacteria in their mouth but in Davon's situation the bacteria entered into his mouth because there were multiple pathways created in his gums."
Alicia said that later that day she popped to the shops for about 45 minutes and when she returned he was in a significantly worse condition.
She described her husband 'shaking and shivering uncontrollably' while he told her 'I don't know what's wrong with me, I'm so cold and I can't stop shaking'.
Davon also threw up and had diarrhoea, and when he was rushed to hospital they put him on a ventilator before placing him into a coma.
While in hospital his heart stopped beating twice and he had to be put on life-support machines that acted as an artificial heart and lungs due to suffering from organ failure.
Davon suffered from a rare complication called purpura fulminans, which is life threatening, and resulted in doctors deciding on 23 January that they had to amputate his right leg.
"When your muscle tissue dies it releases a toxin that can spread to the rest of your muscles. If you don't stop the source then you're going to die and go into septic shock again," Alicia explained of what was happening to Davon.
"All the blood went to his vital organs and that ended up causing his hands to be very necrotic.
"When they went necrotic I had spent time trying to massage his hands trying to create blood flow. Unfortunately that wasn't working. His hands turned black and hard.
"There was a time where they ended up trying to take some more of the dead tissue off of his right leg and that essentially stirred the pot and he went into a second round of septic shock."
She said she was told doctors were 'prepared for him not to make it until the next morning', and said she believed bacteria got into his bloodstream from 'the abrasions during the dentist appointment' since before that 'everything was completely fine'.
"Despite everything Davon has endured, he remains strong in ways that amaze me. Even in critical condition, even while he cannot speak, he is present and he communicates," she said.
"He participates in therapy, even when it is incredibly hard and even if he needs breaks. He fights through nausea, unstable vitals, and intense pain every day.
"His resilience is not loud or dramatic. It is steady and determined, and I believe that mindset will play a large role in his long-term recovery and I will be supporting him every step of the way.
"Don't be scared to go to the dentist, the dentist is important. When you go to the dentist, you should ask if your gums are inflamed or infected and is it truly safe to move forward with the periodontal exam.
"I would also encourage everyone to fill out medical information correctly regardless if you don't think it is connected. No amount of money will ever make anything better ever. But it can contribute to helping me with legal, housing, vehicles, and taking care of my girls."
Joe Harker